A county councillor has insisted that getting the HS2 line moved beneath the A38 would not be the end of the battle to get the best deal for people affected by the route.
Engineers have now agreed to change the route near Lichfield to mitigate the impact of the controversial line. This will see trains pass under the road rather than over.
But county councillor Mark Winnington said the fight to get the best deal for local residents was not over.
“Although we are opposed to HS2, from the outset we have put all our efforts into getting the best deal we can for Staffordshire and its people.
“We are pleased the Staffordshire voice has been heard and these new proposals will help protect the Lichfield skyline, limit extensive, intrusive construction and significantly reduce noise.
“While this is great news today, we recognise too the importance of exploring further mitigating options with HS2 and supporting communities affected.”
As well as opting for a tunnel rather than viaduct near Streethay, the changes will see reduced embankments with large sections of the line running through cuttings.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “This decision underlines the ongoing work HS2 Ltd is doing with communities along the route to ensure the construction of this vital new railway takes their views into account.
“I am confident that by working together we can ensure HS2 is designed in the right way, and we will have spades in the ground in 2017 as planned.”
