Member Article

HS2 might not be ready before 2030

It could be 2030 before the HS2 rail scheme is ready, due to ministerial indecision, according to the former Transport Secretary.

Lord Adonis fears that the legislation needed for the project may not be passed during this parliament. However, the Government says that the scheme us currently on its published timetable, and phase one of the £33 billion high-speed rail link between Birmingham and London will begin operating in 2026.

Speaking to the BBC radio 4 Today programme, Lord Adonis said: “It took the last government 14 months to set in train the whole plan for HS2 from London to Birmingham and we started the work on the route north to Manchester to Leeds.

The current Transport minister Teresa Villiers will not publish the route between London and Birmingham until the Autumn, which means that it will be nearly four years after the last election until the Government publish the bill needed for HS2.

Lord Admonis believes that this could mean that there is a good chance that the legisation won’t pass in this parliament.

He continued: It could well get caught up in all the politics leading up to the next election and we may not see HS2 now in the 2020s.“

The Transport Secretary Justine Greening gave the HS2 scheme the go-ahead in Jamuary, in the face of strong opposition. The second phase of the high speed link would extend the line further north to Manchester and Leeds by 2033.

Opponents have argued against the scheme on environmental and economic grounds, and believe that the Government should instead consider improving existing transport services.

Responding to the claims, Ms Villiers said: “The suggestion that we are dragging our heels on HS2 is just not true. We are keeping to our published timetable of completing the necessary legislation for phase one by the end of this parliament.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .