The Government will be considering HS2 as part of a plan for the Midlands - which will include a proposed £2billion programme to better the rail network as a whole.
In the latest development of the plan, it says it is "fully committed" to providing better rail connections between London, the Midlands and the North of England.
Therefore, a new Integrated Rail Plan for the Midlands is to be drawn up by the Government, HS2 Ltd and local leaders in a bid to determine how best to bring forward rail improvements along the HS2 route as "quickly as possible."
At the beginning of February, it was announced HS2 will go ahead in full, but the Nottinghamshire-leg will be reviewed in a bid to cut costs which have now spiralled to an estimated £106billion.
But on February 21, the Department for Transport outlined just what the Integrated Rail Plan entails, and this includes making sure all projects tie-in to drive down costs and deliver the best connectivity as possible.
It is a positive step towards HS2 coming to the Midlands in the future.
One of the programmes which is to be considered is a £2billion project to regenerate the "Victorian infrastructure" and cut journey times between Nottingham and Birmingham to just 59 minutes.
The programme, called the Midlands Rail Hub, would also result in one additional train per hour between the two major cities as well as reduced times to Coventry.
Plans were submitted to the Government by Midlands Connect, the transport arm of The Midlands Engine, which aims to attract investment into the region.
Its chairman, Sir John Peace, previously said the investment must happen alongside delivering the entirety of HS2.
He said any delay to the high speed line in the Midlands, with a planned hub in Toton, would be a "betrayal".
The Department for Transport's announcement comes shortly after the Oakervee review, which concluded the Phase 2b route - from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds - needs to be a Y-shaped network as the best strategic answer for the country.
It also concluded, as the DoT says, that "that Phase 2b needs to be considered as part of an Integrated Rail Plan for the north and Midlands which also includes Northern Powerhouse Rail, Midlands Rail Hub, and other major Network Rail schemes to ensure these are scoped, designed, delivered, and can be operated as an integrated network."
The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) will be assessing future work by looking at the rail needs of the Midlands.
The assessment will take into account a number of things, such as Government commitments, the current state of development in different projects and, in line with the Oakervee review conclusion, the appropriate mix of high speed line and upgrades to the conventional network.
