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HS2 delays: High speed rail needs major rethink as costs spiral 'out of
control', Lords report warns

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   The costs of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project to connect London with
   the Midlands and the North of England “appear to be out of control,”
   according to a House of Lords report.

   The first phase of HS2, linking London with Birmingham, has a budget of
   £56bn and is due to open in 2026.

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   In a new report, Rethinking High Speed 2, the committee says the
   priority for investment in the rail network should be the north of
   England.

   The former chairman of HS2, Sir Terry Morgan, told the Committee that
   “nobody knows” what the final costs of the project will be.

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     * Costs of HS2 ‘vastly underestimated’, whistleblower says

   “The north is being short-changed by the government’s present plans,
   especially as construction on HS2 is starting in the south.

   “The northern sections of High Speed 2 must not be sacrificed to make
   up for overspending on the railway’s southern sections.”

   Four years ago the committee urged the government to consider whether
   improving links in the north of England would be a better investment
   than HS2. It also recommended reducing the cost of HS2, such as
   lowering the speed of the railway or terminating in west London rather
   than Euston.
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   Independent: “We will overcome some of the capacity problems with a
   variety of different measures. Digital signalling, longer trains and
   constructing new lines. And HS2 is a key part of that.”

   Mr Jones is MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, and chaired the
   Northern Electrification Taskforce.

   “I took the HS2 bill through the house, I’m a big supporter of HS2 and
   I want to see it happen,” he said. “As it develops, I think people will
   realise it will make a step change for journeys around our country.”

   There is growing political opposition to the high speed rail project.
   Potential Tory leaders including Boris Johnson, Esther McVey and Andrea
   Leadsom have all spoken out against HS2.
   More about
   High Speed 2 |  Department for Transport |  House Of Lords |
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