Michael Gove says it is Government policy that HS2 will reach Manchester - but high-speed trains might not travel all the way to central London. The levelling up secretary has refused to guarantee that HS2 will terminate at Euston, where existing services from Manchester to London currently reach.
Instead, the high-speed line could terminate at Old Oak Common, near to Wormwood Scrubs in West London. Speaking on Channel 4's The Andrew Neil Show today (March 26), Mr Gove even suggested the option could be considered as a 'levelling up' project, claiming the area is in need of regeneration.
Asked whether he could guarantee the line would end in central London, he said: "There is a debate about whether or not it should be Old Oak Common or Euston. Old Oak Common is going to be a major area for regeneration but we want to make sure as many people as possible can benefit not just from the additional rail infrastructure but also from the regeneration that HS2 can bring.
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“So the Old Oak Common area is a part of north-west London that requires levelling up.” Pressed on whether HS2 would go to Euston, Mr Gove added: “I don’t know what the final decision will be about where the terminus will be.”
Greater Manchester is expected to face a 20-year wait for HS2 trains after a delay was announced earlier this month. The high-speed line was due for extension to Crewe from Birmingham between 2030 and 2034, with the track to Manchester expected between 2035 and 2041.
But the project north of Birmingham has now been delayed by two years following rising costs. Some estimates suggest the 225mph railway will cost £106billion.
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