Manchester's planned links to a new high-speed rail network are set to be delayed in a bid to curb rising costs, it has been reported, with ministers set to make an official statement today.
The planned high-speed line between Crewe and Manchester is understood to be affected, with the Birmingham and Crewe route also set to be delayed. It comes after Northern Powerhouse and rail bosses said they had 'confidence' the Manchester line would go ahead just last week.
The widely anticipated network is aiming to transform rail connections between the north and south of the country, but the government says it will be hit by further delays after the cost of the project has ballooned since its inception. In 2010, the project was estimated to cost around £33bn, but current estimates suggest the figure is closer to £71bn.
Tory MP Simon Clarke, former chief secretary to the Treasury, said: “This would be a sensible decision. Having observed HS2’s progress as chief secretary, I have serious doubts as to value for money and cost control.”
HS2 Ltd chief executive Mark Thurston recently said the impact on the project from inflation has been “significant”, adding to the cost of building materials, labour, fuel and energy.
“We’re looking at the timing of the project, the phasing of the project, we’re looking at where we can use our supply chain to secure a lot of those things that are costing us more through inflation,” he told the BBC.
In October last year, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the forecast for when HS2’s phases would be complete remained within planned ranges. That involved Phase One – connecting London with Birmingham – opening between 2029 and 2033.
Services will initially start and end at Old Oak Common, west London, due to delays at Euston. Mr Harper said Phase 2a – extending the line from Birmingham to Crewe – was “on track” to be completed between 2030 and 2034.
The date range for the western leg of Phase 2b – connecting Crewe with Manchester – remained between 2035 and 2041, the Cabinet minister added. The eastern leg of this phase will run from the West Midlands to the East Midlands. A planned extension to Leeds was shelved in November 2021.
The PA news agency has approached the Department for Transport for comment.
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