Transport Secretary Mark Harper accepts HS2 delays will not save money

Mark Harper admitted to MPs the decision to down tools at Euston would add to HS2’s total bill
Transport Secretary Mark Harper has accepted delays to HS2 will not save money (Joe Giddens/PA)
PA Wire

Delaying the HS2 high-speed line’s opening at Euston for almost two decades will not save money, Transport Secretary Mark Harper admitted on Wednesday.

The Department for Transport last month announced a two-year halt to work at Euston as part of efforts to reduce the total cost of HS2, which has soared in excess of £100bn.

Mr Harper told the Commons transport committee that halting work on Euston’s HS2 station and new Tube interchanges would save the amount being spent each year but added: "In itself, delaying delivering something doesn’t save money."

Asked whether HS2 would ever reach Euston, or permanently terminate at Old Oak Common, a new station being built in north west London, Mr Harper said: “The commitment to take HS2 to Euston remains in place.”

He admitted the decision to down tools at Euston, where more than £2bn has already been spent and the station’s cost is now estimated at £4.8bn, £2.2bn more than the original budget, would add to HS2’s total bill.

He said Euston would open at the same time as the second phase of HS2, when it was extended to Manchester, expected by 2041.

The Cabinet minister said: "It was significantly ahead of the budget that is available and that's why I've taken the decision to pause construction of that project.

"There is going to be some cost involved in demobilising the work there and leaving the site in a sensible way for the next couple of years that is sensible for people who live in the area.

"Then we're going to go back and look at coming up with a more cost-effective design for Euston."

Last month the National Audit Office revealed that the 10-platform design at Euston, which was meant to be cheaper, was now more expensive than the original 11-platform option.

Euston ‘s HS2 station was originally due to open between 2031-36, with Euston and Euston Square Tube stations also being modernised as part of the scheme.

The delay to Euston means that HS2 passengers will be forced to transfer onto the Elizabeth line at Old Oak Common, resulting in overcrowding akin to that on the Underground at rush hour.

Marios Alexandrou, interim president of the TSSA union, said: “What we have heard from the Transport Secretary is astonishing – the Tories are making daft decisions which save no money at all but seem to offer only the slow death of HS2.

“Is Mr Harper really asking us, in 2023, to pause the building in its entirety of a rail project which would boost national, regional and local economies for decades to come because of some temporary economic issues?”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in