MPs Raise Concerns Over Possible Axing of HS2 Northern Leg

Hoardings surround the site of the Birmingham High Speed Rail 2 station construction site at Curzon Street in Birmingham, England, on March 22, 2023. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Parliamentarians have raised concerns over the possible discontinuation of the High Speed 2 (HS2) project in the north of the country, accusing the government of “gross mismanagement.”

During a heated House of Commons debate on Monday, Tory as well as opposition MPs fired HS2 questions at the Under-Secretary of State for Transport Richard Holden.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt have reportedly discussed termination of the Birmingham to Manchester section and the stretch from Old Oak Common in west London to Euston station in the centre. The Epoch Times has been unable to independently verify the discussion.

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Labour's shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh accused the government of a "great rail betrayal."

Richard Holden, Conservative MP for North West Durham, speaks to the press following the resignation of Liz Truss as prime minister, in London, on Oct. 20, 2022. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

She asked Mr. Holden about the government’s commitment to the project. Mr. Holden said that Downing Street is “getting on with delivering on rail” and will keep the House updated.

When asked to deliver an unambiguous answer on building HS2 from Euston to Manchester, Mr. Holden said that abandoning the north was out of the question, but refused to give a concrete response.

The high-speed railway, announced in 2013, was initially planned to link London and the West Midlands, later extending the route to cities in the north.

In March, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced a two-year halt to work at Euston in London, which is the terminus station for HS2. The decision was made to save money, as the total cost of HS2 reached over £100 billion.

Government ministers have signalled in the past that the future of HS2 depends on budgetary considerations. Meanwhile, Labour has reportedly committed to deliver the project in full if the party wins the next general election.

At the same time, Labour’s Campaign Coordinator Pat McFadden told the BBC that he would need to see the project's revised costs before the party reveals its final decision in its manifesto.

The site of the Birmingham High Speed Rail 2 station construction site at Curzon Street in Birmingham, England, on Sept. 7, 2023. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

All or Nothing

The ambiguity over the completion of the HS2 project has fuelled questions from Mr. Holden’s own backbenchers.

Iain Stewart, Conservative chair of the Transport Select Committee, said that the Treasury should “either do it properly or not do it at all.”

“Whether people support or oppose HS2 in principle, starting at Old Oak Common and finishing at Birmingham would not realise the full benefits of the line and communities will have been enormously impacted for no great benefit,” Mr. Stewart told the House.

The government has reportedly spent £2.3 billion on the Birmingham to Manchester stretch, but if Downing Street decides to scrap this HS2 extension, it would save up to £34 billion.

In contrast to many MPs, the Conservative MP for Buckingham Greg Smith said that the UK “cannot really afford” HS2 and that the stretch north of Birmingham should be scrapped. It would save many more communities from inconvenience brought on by construction works, Mr. Smith added.

However, fellow Conservative MP Sir Jeremy Wright argued that it was right to ask constituents to “take local pain for national gain.” He then added that HS2 was meant to be a network of rail lines, not a single line.

Mr. Holden confirmed that “spades are already in the ground for HS2.” He mentioned over 350 active construction sites, adding that services between London and Birmingham Curzon Street were due to start between 2029 and 2033.

If the line is completed only as far as Birmingham, “all it will do is join an already overcrowded rail network,” said former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

“Surely we have either a high-speed network or nothing at all,” he told the House.

The government has to consider the financial burden of HS2 during a cost-of-living crisis and budgetary pressures brought on by high inflation and interest rates.

With the autumn statement set to be delivered in November and a general election looming, Downing Street may be inclined to slash the north extension of HS2 altogether.