Trips ‘will take even longer than now’ if planned HS2 cuts go ahead, London Mayor Sadiq Khan argues as the government decide whether to axe the second phase of the line from Birmingham to Manchester
- The second phase of the high-speed line could be axed in the coming days
- Sadiq Khan says this would turn the project into a ‘colossal waste’ of money
The row over looming cuts to HS2 deepened last night following claims by the London Mayor that travelling between the capital and Birmingham could take longer on the new line than it does now.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt are expected to decide in the coming days whether to axe the second phase of the high-speed line, from Birmingham to Manchester, and stop the London leg at Old Oak Common – six miles west of the original Euston terminus.
In a letter sent to Mr Sunak, London Mayor Sadiq Khan says this would turn the project into ‘a colossal waste of public money’.
He reveals that, according to Transport for London estimates, passengers who took HS2 from Birmingham to Old Oak Common, then used local public transport to get to Euston, would be travelling for one hour 22 minutes on a ‘best case’ scenario to reach the station, compared with the current scheduled time of one hour 21 minutes.
Former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and David Cameron have led criticism of the new plan, with Mr Johnson saying that HS2 had been ‘mutilated’ by the Treasury.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt are expected to decide in the coming days whether to axe the second phase of the high-speed line
Officials have watched in horror as the costs of the project have spiralled over the past decade.
READ MORE: Jeremy Hunt says the costs of HS2 are ‘totally out of control’ as he refuses to commit to building the Manchester leg of the project
Proposals to make major cuts to the Government’s flagship high-speed rail project would see the Birmingham to Manchester leg scrapped (Pictured: Artist impression of HS2)
At the time of the 2010 Election, the budget was estimated at £20 billion; by 2021 it was up to £98 billion. Lord Berkeley, former deputy chairman of the Government’s independent review into the project, has warned that it could even hit £107 billion.
While £2.3 billion has already been spent on the Manchester leg, Treasury officials working on a secret project, codenamed ‘Redwood’, have calculated that £34 billion would be saved by abandoning it now.
In his letter, Mr Khan says: ‘Terminating the service at Old Oak Common would be a short-sighted decision which will have long-term implications, significantly downgrading the value of HS2… and leaving a ridiculous situation where a “high-speed” journey between Birmingham and Central London could take as long as the existing route, if not longer’.
Mr Johnson said: ‘This is total Treasury-driven nonsense. We need to connect the Midlands with the North with HS2 because that is the way to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail. It makes no sense for HS2 to terminate at Old Oak Common rather than Euston.’
A Government spokesman said: ‘The HS2 project is well under way with spades in the ground and our focus remains on delivering it.’
The number of cancelled train services on the TransPennine Express has increased since it was taken over by the Government, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Rail users and business leaders initially heralded the move to renationalise the beleaguered line in May, saying it would represent a fresh start for passengers following months of complaints.
In a letter sent to Mr Sunak, London Mayor Sadiq Khan says this would turn the project into ‘a colossal waste of public money’
Some 2,331 services were scrapped between May 28 and August 19, after civil servants seized control from transport company FirstGroup, compared with 1,963 services in the final three months of private ownership.
Spokesmen for TransPennine Express and the Department for Transport blamed strike action this summer and said cancellations were low on non-strike days.
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