THE company charged with developing and promoting controversial high speed rail plans has appointed a development partner for the next phase of engineering, design and environmental work.

CH2M Hill – parent company of consultancy Halcrow – will be confirmed early next month.

Alison Munro, chief executive of HS2 Ltd, said: "Now that HS2 is up and running, it's time to bring new people on board and I'm very pleased to welcome CH2M Hill as our development partner for the next phase of this exciting project.

"We will now be able to move forward without delay."

The first phase of HS2 links London with Birmingham, but also includes a spur into Staffordshire, which cuts through countryside between Lichfield and Whittington.

The rest of the route is still unannounced, but the Government has said the line will link up to Leeds and Manchester in a Y-shaped route by 2033.

CH2M Hill's appointment is crucial to the delivery of the entire project as an 80-strong team of project management and engineering specialists will work alongside HS2 Ltd to manage other companies carrying out design, environmental and land referencing work.

The first stage of the £32.7 billion project is scheduled to be completed by 2026.

HS2 said Halcrow's experience with HS1 and Crossrail, and the expertise demonstrated by CH2M Hill, was "a major factor" in the appointment. CH2M Hill has also been involved in the 2012 London Olympics as a "delivery partner".

"The appointment means that we will have world class project managers and technical experts working alongside us to deliver the design, engineering and environmental work necessary for the hybrid bill," said Ms Munro.

"They will bring, in particular, their highly regarded experience of working on HS1 and Crossrail, two major UK infrastructure projects that have direct relevance to our work."

There will be no legislation in place for HS2 until the end of 2013, with a final Parliamentary vote in 2015 or 2016.

But since the Government's official decision to go ahead, HS2 Ltd will now start engineering, design and environmental work in preparation for a hybrid bill to go through Parliament.

That bill will authorise the Government to build and operate phase one of the project.

Meanwhile, HS2 Ltd will also continue to work on proposals for the Y-shaped line from Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester.