HS2 delay comes under fire

The government has been accused by the TSSA transport union of lacking ambition after announcing that the first phase of the HS2 high-speed railway between London and Birmingham will be delayed by up to five years.


Transport minister Grant Shapps said that the rail link may not open until between 2028 and 2031, with the total budget rising from £62 billion to somewhere between £81 and £88 billion. The first phase was originally due to open in 2026.


TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “Our northern cities and the wider economy just can’t afford to wait.” He added that high-speed rail has been running in other European countries for decades, and demanded: “Why is it we lack so much ambition?” 


Shapps’ statement was based on a report from HS2 chairman Allan Cook, which revealed that the new railway could not be delivered within the current budget. 


It also disclosed that the second phase has also been delayed, with the route from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds to be delayed by several years until 2035-2040.


Meanwhile, a separate review launched by government is looking at whether HS2 will go ahead at all, although construction work is continuing while the review is ongoing.


Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said the announcement demonstrated that successive Conservative transport ministers have shown themselves to be “utterly incompetent”.

https://www.tssa.org.uk/en/whats-new/news/index.cfm/no-way-to-hs2-delay-cortes

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/sep/03/hs2-to-be-delayed-by-up-to-five-years