Euston faces a “decade of delay” before the arrival of HS2 high speed trains because of the Government’s disastrous decision to switch station designs, a rail expert has warned.
Gareth Dennis, an engineer and commentator, said billions had been wasted because Ministers accepted the recommendation of the Oakervee review in 2020 to switch from an 11-platform two-phase design of the new HS2 station at Euston to a 10-platform design to be completed in one phase.
To summarise today's NAO HS2 report...
— Gareth Dennis (@GarethDennis) March 27, 2023
The decision to change the original design of Euston from a 2-stage 11 platform station to a 1-stage 10 platform was made on a wildly optimistic guesstimate of cost savings that ended up being wrong. Billions wasted for a decade of delay. https://t.co/ef0rZ0yhJA
His comments came after the National Audit Office revealed the 10-platform design, which was meant to be cheaper, was now more expensive than the original option.
The report said the total cost of the station was now estimated at £4.8bn, £2.2bn more than the original budget – and warned the two-year halt to construction work ordered by the Department for Transport earlier this month was likely to increase costs further.
HS2 trains are now not due to arrive at Euston until 2041. Mr Dennis said: “The design should never have been changed, and if it hadn’t, we’d be seeing trains running into Euston high speed station within three years.”
The NAO report said about £2bn has already been sunk in the project - £548m in the station plus £1.5bn on wider preparatory works across the site, including land purchases and the decanting of hundreds of residents.
Last October it emerged that the decision to switch from 11 platforms to 10 had wasted £105.6m.
The two-year pause is likely to also have a knock-on impact on the transformation of Euston Tube station and a subterranean walking link with Euston Square station.
Camden council said the Government needed to “commit” to completing HS2 at Euston.
Danny Beales, Camden’s cabinet member for new homes, jobs and community investment, said: “Giving up on Euston entirely, or delivering a half-baked station, would be a disaster for Camden and its communities, and destroy the slim credibility HS2 has left.
“A wholescale redevelopment of Euston Station which brings HS2 and Network Rail trains into a single integrated station will save public money in the long term and deliver huge benefits to Camden and London through the accompanying over site development of new homes, open space and jobs for local people.
“The Government committed to HS2 when HS2 Ltd knocked down our residents’ homes, forced our businesses to close and destroyed our open spaces. We urge the Government to commit to Euston station and deliver the benefits it promised our communities.”
Muniya Barua, deputy chief executive at business lobby group BusinessLDN, said: "The Government’s spending watchdog has confirmed what we knew all along: delaying construction of HS2 to save money does not add up.
"These delays will deprive people in the North and London of HS2’s true benefits for a generation. Londoners should not be forced to wait decades for Euston to be transformed from a giant construction site. The Government should instead accelerate delivery of HS2."
A DfT spokesperson said: “We remain committed to delivering HS2 from Euston to Manchester in a way that delivers the best value for money to the taxpayer.
“That’s why we recently announced we will rephase the Euston section of the project to manage inflationary pressures and work on an affordable design for the station.
“We will carefully consider the recommendations set out by the National Audit Office and will formally respond in due course.”
