Transport secretary Robert Goodwill says that the construction of the High Speed 2 railway connecting London with Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester will create 25,000 jobs.
Speaking at a conference in London, Mr Goodwill confirmed that the HS2 bill is on track to receive Royal Assent by the end of 2016, with work due to begin on the project in 2017.
Work has already begun on the procurement process so that contracts can be signed as soon as the bill is passed, creating thousands of opportunities for businesses.
It is envisaged that 60% of the contracts will be awarded to SMEs with “everything from architects to aggregates, steel and surveyors, to engineers and environmental consultants” being required.
Mr Goodwill said: “The jobs that HS2 will create are an incredible opportunity for the UK, but also a major challenge.
“Because while we need 25,000 skilled professionals for HS2, our investment in the existing rail and road networks is creating another 20,000 jobs.
“And that’s at the same time as we need skilled people for all our other great infrastructure projects such as flood defences, nuclear power stations and perhaps even Crossrail 2.
“We need many more engineers, surveyors, construction workers, planners, drainage experts and even arboriculturists. So we are getting ready now.”
Last week plans were unveiled for to bring high speed rail London Euston to turn the station into a thriving transport and community hub. The construction of 11 new platforms will be built to accommodate HS2 and be spread across two separate phases to minimise disruption to passengers.
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