Sunak insists he’s committed to levelling up as rail backlash grows …
Defence secretary Grant Shapps questions cost of HS2
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Rishi Sunak[1] has insisted he is committed to levelling up despite again failing to confirm that the northern leg of HS2[2] rail project will go ahead.
The prime minister[3] refused to comment on what he described as “speculation” about part of the line being axed.The Independent first revealed two weeks ago that Mr Sunak was considering scrapping plans for the high-speed rail network[4] between Birmingham and Manchester over concerns about its spiralling cost.
Speaking today on a visit to a community centre in Hertfordshire, the PM said: “What I would say is we’re absolutely committed to levelling up and spreading opportunity around the country, not just in the North but in the Midlands, in all other regions of our fantastic country.”
Earlier, Labour’s Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham[5] warned that ditching the northern phase of HS2 would be a disaster of “epic proportions” for the region.
An announcement is expected before the Tory Party conference in Manchester next weekend and The Independent understands the northern phase of HS2 could be delayed by up to seven years[6] as part of a bid to scrap the project in the long-term.
Show latest update 1695663047Tory titans out to derail Sunak over HS2
Rishi Sunak[8] is under growing pressure from senior Tories not to scrap the northern leg of the HS2[9] rail line ahead of the party’s conference in the city.
The Independent understands the prime minister is set to delay the Birmingham to Manchester[10] high-speed line by up to seven years as part of a bid to ditch the project in the long term.
Former chancellor George Osborne[11] and ex-deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine[12] warned that axing the route to Manchester would be a “gross act of vandalism” which would mean “abandoning” the north and Midlands.
Adam Forrest reports:
Martha Mchardy25 September 2023 18:30
[7]1695660347Rail experts say downscaling HS2 would be ‘commercial and operational mess’
Downscaling HS2[14] would create “a commercial and operational mess”, industry experts have warned.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt[15] are reported to be meeting to discuss the future of the high-speed rail project in the coming days.
There is speculation the leg from Birmingham[16] to Manchester will be cancelled or delayed while Euston[17] will be axed, both in response to soaring costs.
Neil Lancefield reports:
Martha Mchardy25 September 2023 17:45
[13]1695657647Watch: Andy Burnham makes HS2 plea to Rishi Sunak
Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has urged Rishi Sunak[19] to avoid scrapping HS2[20].
He warned that the decision would leave the north of England with “Victorian infrastructure”.
Speaking on Monday morning, Mr Burnham questioned why those living in the region are treated as “second-class citizens”.
Andy Burnham makes HS2 plea to Rishi Sunak
Martha Mchardy25 September 2023 17:00
[18]1695654968Lib Dems pile pressure on Sunak over HS2
The Liberal Democrats have used their annual gathering in Bournemouth to pile fresh pressure on the Conservatives over HS2. Peer Jenny Randerson told the Lib Dem conference her party wants HS2 to go “the full way”.
Baroness Randerson, the party’s spokesman on transport in the House of Lords, said: “We have supported HS2 from the start and want it to go the full way.
“The shorter it becomes, the more it costs per mile and the less there is any point in it. It needs to be delivered throughout, forget all this truncating, let’s go back to what it was planned from the start.
“As part of that, you have to get the cost back under control. One of the reasons it is totally out of control is because we keep stopping and starting, and you have this added uncertainty.”
She said cities such as Manchester have attracted investment “possibly on false pretences” if the link does not go ahead. “Can you imagine what that does to our reputation as a nation for the future?” she added.
“We are now the nation that cannot build a railway, when we invented the railway,” she said.
HS2 construction workers
(PA Archive)
Matt Mathers25 September 2023 16:16
[21]1695653233HS2 says work in Buckinghamshire is bringing ‘real benefits to passengers today’
A multi-million pound project to enable HS2[23] trains to run under an existing rail line will bring immediate benefits to passengers, HS2 and Network Rail[24] said.
More than one mile of a branch line in Buckinghamshire[25] between Aylesbury[26] and Princes Risborough is being realigned, including with the construction of a new bridge.
This will enable HS2 trains running between London and Birmingham[27] to pass beneath. Neil Lancefield reports:
Matt Mathers25 September 2023 15:47
[22]1695651453Tory titans out to derail Sunak over HS2
Rishi Sunak[29] is under growing pressure from senior Tories not to scrap the northern leg of the HS2[30] rail line ahead of the party’s conference in Manchester, Adam Forrest reports.
The Independent understands the prime minister is set to delay the Birmingham to Manchester[31] high-speed line by up to seven years as part of a bid to ditch the project in the long term.
Former chancellor George Osborne[32] and ex-deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine[33] warned that axing the route to Manchester would be a “gross act of vandalism” which would mean “abandoning” the north and Midlands.
Full report:
Matt Mathers25 September 2023 15:17
[28]1695650426Rail experts say downscaling HS2 would be ‘commercial and operational mess’
Downscaling HS2[35] would create “a commercial and operational mess”, industry experts have warned.
William Barter, a railway consultant whose recent clients include the Department for Transport, told the PA news agency this would result in “80 per cent of the costs and 20 per cent of the benefits”, while rail engineer and writer Gareth Dennis claimed it would be a “stupid decision”.
Under existing plans, HS2 trains will run on high-speed lines between London and Manchester, as well as running on existing lines to destinations such as Glasgow, Liverpool and North Wales.
Full report:
Matt Mathers25 September 2023 15:00
[34]1695649526Khan: HS2 could be ‘shuttle service’ between west London and Birmingham
Sadiq Khan has said he is “astonished” that HS2 could become a “shuttle service” between Birmingham and west London.
“I’m astonished and alarmed and it’s worth reminding people what this will mean. This will mean that in future journeys from Birmingham, to the centre of London on High Speed 2 will take longer than it currently takes,” the Labour mayor of London told the Press Association.
“I’m astonished that the government’s allowed costs to escalate the way they have. They’ve been in power since 2010, but I’m also astonished they are seriously considering having a High Speed 2 line that is a shuttle service between Birmingham Curzon Street and Old Oak Common, which is six miles to the west of central London.”
He added: “Also in Euston – they have destroyed businesses, they’ve demolished homes. They’ve let down a community. Euston is a cluster of Life Sciences, of tech, of education, of a culture and they will miss out on this investment as will communities north of Birmingham and Manchester.”
Sadiq Khan has announced his London Policing Board to help scrutinise the Met Police (Yui Mok/PA)
(PA Wire)
Matt Mathers25 September 2023 14:45
[36]1695648626Passenger numbers have bounced back since Covid, says rail industry body
Rail passengers are returning despite the changes brought about by Covid, according to the Railway Industry Association.
Simon Calder reports: The body – which represents companies that stand to benefit from the construction of HS2 – says passenger numbers were 17 per cent down on pre-pandemic numbers in the last three months of 2022, but in spring and summer this year the figures are just 4 per cent down.
Darren Caplan, chief executive of the Railway Industry Association, said: “One of the reasons cited by critical politicians for scrapping HS2 Phase 2 is that passenger numbers are significantly down and people will not travel by train in future.
“This is plain wrong, and all of us associated with the railway industry should be out there publicly refuting this assertion. In fact, today’s passenger levels are already significantly higher than when the business case for HS2 was approved, and have been growing back strongly since the pandemic.
“In the last six months, passenger numbers have been averaging 96 per cent of pre-Covid levels, despite strikes and poor service levels on some parts of the network.
“In short, passengers have been returning in droves around the country and there is no evidence this trend upwards will not continue in future. With a growing population, and a generally agreed need to level-up and decarbonise, now is clearly not the time for the government to be scrapping major project like HS2 Phase 2 – the main benefit of the scheme being it frees up much-needed capacity on the West Coast, Midlands and East Coast Mainlines for the increasing numbers of passengers we are going to see in the years ahead.”
File photo: Rail passengers get off a train
(PA)
Matt Mathers25 September 2023 14:30
[37]1695647726IFS director Paul Johnson: Chaos around HS2 makes me ‘want to weep’
Paul Johnson has said the chaos around HS2 makes him “want to weep” and the end result will be a “total waste" of money, Archie Mitchell reports.
The influential economist said he did not support the high speed rail project initially, claiming it was “going to be hugely expensive with relatively little gain”.
Mr Johnson told Times Radio: “It makes me want to weep, it just makes me despair.
“The original sin, as it were, was agreeing to do it in the first place. It was obviously going to be hugely expensive, with relatively little gain from it relative to pretty much anything else you could have done with the railway or transport system, whether that’s making rail connections across the north vastly better or actually building a bunch of bypasses and improving the roundabouts in the road network.
“And we knew that, that this was not the best way you could spend that amount of money. We also know how difficult we find it to build these projects."
Mr Johnson added: "It rather looks like we’re going to totally waste the money on this in producing a rail at the cost of tens of billions, which will get you from Birmingham to central London less quickly than you can do at the moment."
IFS director Paul Johnson
(PA)
Matt Mathers25 September 2023 14:15
[38]References
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- ^ HS2 (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ prime minister (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ considering scrapping plans for the high-speed rail network (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Andy Burnham (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/hs2-cuts-grant-shapps-rishi-sunak-b2417491.html (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ 1695663047 (www.independent.co.uk)
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- ^ Network Rail (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Buckinghamshire (www.independent.co.uk)
- ^ Aylesbury (www.independent.co.uk)
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- ^ 1695647726 (www.independent.co.uk)