Transport Secretary reveals seven-year delay for HS2

How the HS2 hub at Toton could look

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has told Parliament that HS2 is now expected to be completed in 2040 – seven years later than forecast.

The £56bn budget has increased by up to 40% as measured in 2015 prices, but with inflation factored in the expected range is now £81bn-£88bn.

The revised estimates of the expected cost and deliverability of the current scheme have been provided by HS2.

This is separate to the review that Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered into the project last month, which will report in the autumn.

That review, led by Doug Oakervee, will provide recommendations on whether and how the project moves forward.

HS2 chairman Allan Cook has told Shapps he does not believe the 2026 launch date is “realistic”. Instead he suggests phase one – Birmingham to London – should have a staged opening between 2028-2031, starting with initial services between London Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street, followed by services to and from London Euston later.

He expects Phase 2b, the full high-speed line to Manchester and Leeds, to open between 2035 and 2040.

Cook has also suggested that Phase 2a, Birmingham to Crewe, could be delivered to the same timetable as Phase 1, subject to Parliamentary approval.

Shapps said: “We all in this House know we must invest in modern infrastructure to ensure the future prosperity of our country and its people.

“We look back to past achievements with a sense of pride – from the canals and railways that ensured the UK led the world into the Industrial Revolution, to the space ports and launch sites we are now considering that will make the UK a global leader in space.

“These endeavours both inspire and improve the quality of our everyday lives. It is therefore right that we subject every project to the most rigorous scrutiny; and if we are to truly maximise every opportunity, this must always be done with an open mind and a clean sheet of paper.”

Yorkshire leaders react to the delay

Roger Marsh, the Chairman of NP11 and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, said: “As business leaders have made clear, HS2 is fundamental to rebalancing the UK’s economy.

“Britain needs both HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail with a station in central Bradford, which will enable the North and the UK economy to prosper in the decades ahead.

“The Oakervee Review into HS2, provides an opportunity to work with Government to identify ways HS2 can deliver even more for the North of England while also considering options to help control costs and deliver a new North-South railway on the current HS2 timetable.”

Gerald Jennings, Chair of the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, added: “Whilst the delay announced is frustrating, we remain confident the long-term benefits will be felt for generations, and will far outweigh the upfront costs.

“Of course, no project should have a blank cheque, but HS2 is a critical investment in the UK’s future. The UK’s rail network is at capacity, with the full range of passenger and freight services sharing the same tracks and vying for priority. That’s why businesses – faced with ever-more unreliable services and overcrowding – recognise and support the strong economic case to deliver all phases of HS2.”

Meanwhile, the President of Leeds Chamber of Commerce, Amanda Beresford, said: “The potential arrival of HS2 in the city is already attracting millions of pounds of new investment with more in the pipeline and that High Speed rail is essential to support Leeds’s growing economy.”

Suzanne Watson, President of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, added that although the city would not be directly served by HS2, the proposed increases in services and faster travel times “would aid Bradford’s future growth.”

Watson also raised concerns about whether the proposed Northern Powerhouse Rail project, which includes a new city centre rail station, might also be reconsidered if HS2 does not go ahead, adding it “would be a blow for the district when it is wanting to improve its connectivity  to the rest of the country.”

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