The Government has announced today that the completion of the first stage of HS2 will be delayed by up to seven years.
With Boris Johnson’s Government having already announced a review into the whole scheme, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says that the line connecting London to the Midlands will fail to meet its original 2026 opening date.
“The Chairman of HS2 does not believe the current schedule of 2026 for initial services on Phase One is realistic. In line with lessons from other major transport infrastructure projects, his advice proposes a range of dates for the start of service. He recommends 2028 to 2031 for Phase One – with a staged opening, starting with initial services between London Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street, followed by services to and from London Euston later. He expects Phase 2b, the full high-speed line to Manchester and Leeds, to open between 2035 and 2040.”
The whole project is still under review with the government announcing on 21 August 2019 an independent, cross-party review led by Douglas Oakervee into whether and how HS2 should proceed. The review will report in the autumn.
Liberal Democrat MEP for the North West Jane Brophy said:
“The Tories’ long-term indecision and incompetence was always going to cost taxpayers and fail Northerners the most.
“The Liberal Democrats have always been absolutely clear that HS2 construction should have started in the North. Then, when the project inevitably encountered the issues it has, the areas most in need of infrastructure upgrades would have received them first.
“However, as things stand, rail links in London and the South will still be upgraded, whilst Northern links are left in their dire 1970s state – as usual.”
