HS2 to be delayed by two more years due to soaring costs
It’s official: HS2 will be delayed by another two years and major roadbuilding schemes will be mothballed.
Ministers have confirmed the move, our transport correspondent Gwyn Topham reports, after soaring inflation added billions to the cost of transport infrastructure projects.
Ministers insisted they remained committed to Britain’s high-speed rail network scheme, but the budget constraints have cast doubt over prospects for the rail project’s delivery.
Parts of the HS2 line between Birmingham, Crewe and Manchester will be “rephased” by two years, while trains may now not run all the way into central London until years later than planned as the government “takes time to ensure we have an affordable and deliverable station design” at Euston.
The biggest road schemes will also be kicked into the long grass as transport budgets face swingeing real-terms cuts from 2025. The flagship Lower Thames Crossing, a £7bn tunnel and road scheme linking Essex and Kent, will be deferred for at least two years, into the next five-year phase of National Highways’ roadbuilding.
The transport secretary, Mark Harper, said:
“We have seen significant inflationary pressure and increased project costs, and so we will rephase construction by two years, with an aim to deliver high-speed services to Crewe and the north west as soon as possible after accounting for the delay in construction.”
Here’s the full story:
The HS2 thing is a perfect example of how Treasury spending windows distort decision-making and raise long-term costs. See also every defence procurement project ever. pic.twitter.com/VlgFAchgxa
— Robert Colvile (@rcolvile) March 9, 2023
Afternoon summary
Time to recap… here are today’s main stories:
