Plans for High Speed 2’s second phase linking Birmingham with Leeds via an eastern leg as well as Crewe to Manchester further west are at risk of being scaled back in a bid to achieve cost savings, it has emerged.
Join other savvy professionals just like you at CIHT. We are committed to fulfilling your professional development needs throughout your career
Speculation is growing that the independent review into the project led by Sir Douglas Oakervee is drawing up plans to reduce the scope of works planned for phase 2b. This could involve cancelling the eastern leg beyond the East Midlands towards Sheffield and Leeds and cutting train speeds, it has been suggested.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee last week, the Department for Transport’s permanent secretary Bernadette Kelly confirmed that considerations are being made regarding changes to the project’s original plans.
This comes after a recent ‘stocktake’ report by High Speed 2 chairman Allan Cook estimated that the total price of the project has inflated from £55Bn to a range between £72Bn and £78Bn.
“Doug Oakervee’s review is intended to be a fairly fundamental review of the project,” Bernadette Kelly told the Public Accounts Committee. “It is ‘whether and how’ to proceed, and therefore in the question of ‘how’ he will also be looking at the scope of the project and whether changes are needed.”
She added: “I think it likely that there will be more scope for changes to phase 2b than to phase 1, simply because of the stage of development that part of the project is in and the fact that it has not yet been subject to a Hybrid Bill.”
The Oakervee review is expected to conclude this autumn ahead of a decision on the future of High Speed 2 by the end of the year.
Following the speculation that the eastern leg may not go ahead as planned, a Transport for the North spokesman said: “It would be a huge missed opportunity if the current ambition for HS2 and the benefits it could deliver for the North East of England are scaled back; and such a decision would be seen as out of touch with what northern leaders would expect as part of a truly 21st century pan-northern rail network.”
Leeds City Council leader and West Yorkshire Combined Authority transport lead Judith Blake said: “With trains between Leeds and Sheffield currently travelling at an average speed of 36mph, failure to deliver HS2 in full to Leeds while going ahead with a western leg providing services travelling at 250mph would condemn the north and east of the UK to second class status.”
(Image: High Speed 2)
Join other savvy professionals just like you at CIHT. We are committed to fulfilling your professional development needs throughout your career
{{item.AuthorName}} {{item.AuthorName}} says on {{item.DateFormattedString}}: