The proposed high-speed rail link between Crewe and Birmingham will open six years earlier than originally planned, the government has revealed.

Chancellor George Osborne has hailed the decision as "a massive step in the right direction for the Northern Powerhouse where high-speed rail will play a big role in connecting up the entire region with the rest of the country".

The route between Birmingham and Crewe was due to be ready in 2033. However, HS2 executive chairman Sir David Higgins, many MPs and several influential business organisations have long been vocal in calling for the scheme to be brought forward.

Now Osborne is announcing that the link between Birmingham and Crewe will open in 2027. The decision also confirms Crewe's success in fighting off the challenge of rival towns including Stoke-on-Trent to serve as a major hub for HS2.

Meanwhile, the government also said that John Cridland, the former director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, is being installed as chairman of Transport for the North.

Osborne said: "Bringing forward this part of the HS2 route by six years is a massive step in the right direction for the Northern Powerhouse where high-speed rail will play a big role in connecting up the entire region with the rest of the country.

Sir David said: "This is another significant milestone in the development of Britain's high-speed rail network.

"By accelerating the second phase between Birmingham and Crewe, we will bring the capacity, connectivity and regeneration benefits of HS2 to the North West and Scotland years earlier than originally planned.

"It has also been very gratifying, as we develop the plans for phase two, to see a consensus grow among the city regions in the East Midlands and Yorkshire on the siting of future hub stations at Toton and Leeds city centre respectively."

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