The government has ‘no intention’ of stopping work on the £55.7bn HS2 project, despite fears that the true costs of the scheme.
Transport minister Nusrat Ghani indicated that the government remained fully committed to the high-speed rail link in her response to calls from fellow Conservative MP Dame Cheryl Gillan to stop work on the scheme. Gillan lodged a written question in Parliament urging transport secretary Chris Grayling to halt HS2 works in Buckinghamshire until designs have been completed and the costs updated to today’s prices.
HS2 is the biggest infrastructure project in Europe and the government says it will cost nearly £56bn, with the first phase from London to Birmingham totalling £27bn. In February this year, HS2 chief executive Mark Thurston said the precise cost of the high-speed line would not be known until all contractors had been appointed.
Responding to Gillan’s question, Ghani said: “HS2 is one of the most important infrastructure projects in the UK, supported by the House of Commons and by regional leaders across the country. It will regenerate and rebalance local economies and provide unmatched opportunities for passenger and freight travel. I have no intention of halting work on HS2 in Buckinghamshire or elsewhere.
“There are already well over 7,000 people and 2,000 businesses working to deliver the HS2 project and early works are well underway.
“Once HS2 Ltd has reached agreement with its suppliers and the government is satisfied about both affordability and value for money, we will make a full business case for phase one. This will inform notice to proceed which is the formal contractual process which enables each phase one supplier to move from design and development to construction.”
