Government outlines HS2 rail route The UK government has revealed its preferred route for the second stage of the £32.7bn high-speed rail line between London and the north, including plans to build five new stations. Prime minister David Cameron said the transport link was "vital" to help secure the country's economic prosperity, while George Osborne, chancellor, hailed it as an "engine for growth" in the north and Midlands. Mr Osborne acknowledged that the decision was controversial for those facing disruption along the line, including his own Tatton constituency, but said the economic benefits to all communities were compelling. The line was "not just about cutting journey times - although it does cut in half the journey time from Manchester to London - it's also about the new stations, the prosperity that's going to come, the jobs that are going to be created around this infrastructure,"" he told the BBC. The 211-mile second phase will connect Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds. Known as High Speed 2, it has broad cross-party support and strong backing from local authorities and businesses in the Midlands and the north. However, opponents including Andrew Bridgen, Tory MP for northwest Leicestershire, fear the scheme will draw investment away from the regions and towards the southeast, contrary to the government's arguments. "HS2 represents an unprecedented cost that the taxpayers of northwest Leicestershire will be required to contribute to," he said. These amounts arguably represent an unprecedented commitment from a UK government in peace time. The five new stations will be at Manchester - located in the city centre alongside the existing station at Piccadilly; Manchester airport - a new interchange station alongside the M56, between Warburton Green and Davenport Green; East Midlands - at Toton Sidings between Nottingham and Derby, and one mile off the M1; Sheffield - at Meadowhall, connected to the city centre station by a five-minute rail link, and Leeds - at New Lane, in the South Bank area of the city centre, connected to the current main station by a walkway. The government said Crewe would be served by "a dedicated link alongside the high-speed line." The line, which could eventually see trains running at up to 250mph, will halve some journey times between London, Birmingham and the northern English cities and Scotland. It will also provide much needed extra rail capacity, with the existing West Coast mainline due to be full by the mid-2020s. It is due to be operational in 2033, seven years after phase one between London and Birmingham, is due to open. The government has forecast it will encourage 5.4m air passengers every year to shift to rail, and replace 9.8m road journeys. Some economists and planners have questioned the claims, however, and critics suggest the money would be better spent on upgrading existing rail and road infrastructure. Opponents, led by Conservative councils directly affected by the first phase of the line, have attacked it on economic and planning grounds. They are waiting for a judge to rule on the validity of their claims, following a judicial review last month. If the challenge is successful it could delay the project by at least two years. The second phase is expected to spark a Tory revolt in Mr Osborne's Tatton constituency in Cheshire, which lies on the western branch of the so-called Y route from Birmingham to Manchester. It is also causing alarm on the eastern branch of the route, which splits north of Birmingham, and is expected to follow the M42 and A42 into Leicestershire, before tracking the M1 in some places on its way up to Leeds.