A wave of disappointment is being felt across the North of England after the Government axed the HS2 development beyond Birmingham.
People north of Birmingham, in cities including Manchester and Leeds, will now need to rely on regional train services instead of gaining access to the high-speed line that will connect travellers further south.
Those hoping that the HS2 line could also provide an overall economic boost with benefits all across the country will similarly feel disheartened by the announcement.
Confirming the news at the Conservative Party Conference, held in one of the cities impacted by his decision, Rishi Sunak said: “I say, to those who backed the project in the first place, the facts have changed. And the right thing to do when the facts change is to have the courage to change direction.
“So I am ending this long-running saga. I am cancelling the rest of the HS2 project.”
Instead, the North has been promised investments in several regional projects.
The development, which has reportedly eaten a £106 billion hole in the pockets of UK coffers and investors, will now operate on a minimised line between Birmingham and London, reportedly saving travellers a mere 36 minutes.
It’s still expected to take several years before it opens to the public. When it does, it’ll be considerably shorter than initially planned.
The only part of HS2 that is now guaranteed is Birmingham to Old Oak Common — a London hub.
The news has been met with a mixed response, but some representatives in the North suggested that it was another “betrayal”. West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said it was “yet another betrayal of the North which will punish passengers and businesses alike”.
Former chancellor Lord Philip Hammond told The Times: “It’s an economic mistake [to scrap it]. People said we shouldn’t build the Jubilee Line extension and yet that’s transformed the economics of London.
“We’ve already spent £40 billion [on HS2]. That money’s sunk. The cost-benefit economics strongly point to completing the project. Do we just throw it away and create a white elephant, or press on with a project that will have transformative value for the economy?”
Lord Patrick McLoughlin, a former transport secretary and chairman of Transport for the North, added: “The most expensive part of the route between London and Birmingham has already been built and, if you stop there, you will get most of the costs but with a fraction of the benefit.”
Many supporters of HS2 say the main benefit will be increased capacity as it will enable intercity trains currently operated by Avanti West Coast to be taken off the West Coast Main Line, creating more space for stopping services and freight trains.
Another improvement will be reduced journey times, although that is predicted to be negligible.
How much time will HS2 save?
According to figures shared by The Times, HS2 will save people travelling between London and Birmingham around 36 minutes. The other routes, which have since been cancelled, could have saved travellers more than an hour on their trips.
The following figures were provided by the Department for Transport and reprinted in The Times.
Route |
Current time |
Journey made by HS2 |
Time saved |
London to Birmingham |
1hr 21 |
45 minutes |
36 minutes |
London to Manchester (Cancelled) |
2hr 6 |
1hr 55 |
55 minutes |
London to Leeds (Cancelled) |
2hr 13 |
1hr 21 |
52 minutes |
Birmingham to Manchester (Cancelled) |
1hr 26 |
41 minutes |
45 minutes |
Birmingham to Leeds (Cancelled) |
1hr 58 |
49 minutes |
69 minutes |
How long will it be until HS2 is finished?
The first HS2 services will run between Birmingham Curzon Street and Old Oak Common in London between 2029 and 2033, according to the HS2 website.
