The
Chancellor
has
effectively
dismissed
calls
for
HS2
to
be
further
cut
back
or
even
cancelled
in
his
Autumn
Statement.
Jeremy
Hunt
told
the
Commons
that
the
funding
would
be
available
to
continue
building
HS2
to
Manchester,
East
West
Rail
and
the
‘core’
elements
of
Northern
Powerhouse
Rail.
Transport
campaigners
have
pointed
out
that
he
could
have
saved
£16
billion
by
abandoning
several
major
road
schemes.
Mr
Hunt
said:
‘I
am
not
cutting
a
penny
from
our
capital
budgets
in
the
next
two
years
and
maintaining
them
at
that
level
in
cash
terms
for
the
following
three
years.
‘This
means
that
although
we
are
not
growing
our
capital
budget
as
planned,
it
will
still
increase
from
£63
billion
four
years
ago
to
£114
billion
next
year
and
£115
billion
the
year
after
–
and
remain
at
that
level.
Smart
countries
build
on
their
long-term
commitments
rather
than
discard
them.
‘So
today
I
confirm
that
because
of
this
decision,
alongside
Sizewell
C,
we
will
deliver
the
core
Northern
Powerhouse
Rail.
HS2
to
Manchester.
East
West
Rail.
The
new
hospitals
programme.
And
gigabit
broadband
rollout.
All
these
and
more
will
be
funded
as
promised.’
The
Campaign
for
Better
Transport
welcomed
a
further
announcement
that
Vehicle
Excise
Duty
will
be
charged
on
electric
vehicles
from
2025,
and
also
gave
a
cautious
welcome
to
the
news
about
transport
upgrades.
Norman
Baker
from
the
CBT
said:
‘We
welcome
the
Government’s
renewed
commitment
to
East
West
Rail,
core
Northern
Powerhouse
Rail,
and
High
Speed
2,
which
will
be
vital
to
connecting
communities
and
modernising
our
sustainable
transport
network,
but
we
are
disappointed
that
Bradford
is
to
miss
out
from
getting
a
high-speed
stop.
The
Government
could
have
filled
much
of
the
Budget
black
hole
by
cancelling
a
small
number
of
highly
damaging
road
building
schemes
–
it
is
regrettable
that
it
didn’t
take
the
chance
to
do
this.’
According
to
Transport
Action
Network,
cancelling
the
Lower
Thames
Crossing,
A303
Stonehenge,
A66
Northern
Transpennine,
A12
Chelmsford
to
A120
widening
and
A428
Black
Cat
to
Caxton
Gibbet
schemes
would
save
£16
billion.
Railway
Industry
Association
chief
executive
Darren
Caplan
said:
‘Last
month
we
wrote
an
open
letter
to
Chancellor
Jeremy
Hunt,
setting
out
how
rail
is
not
just
essential
for
UK
connectivity
and
levelling-up,
but
that
it
is
also
an
important
national
industry
which
plays
a
major
role
in
boosting
economic
growth
in
other
sectors
too.
Given
this,
we
said
it
is
essential
to
push
on
with
rail
projects,
even
given
the
current
difficult
economic
circumstances.
‘On
the
face
of
it,
it
is
therefore
welcome
that
the
Chancellor
has
confirmed
that
three
key
rail
projects
will
be
built.
This
isn’t
just
the
right
thing
to
do
when
it
comes
to
connectivity,
but
is
also
in
the
long-term
economic
interests
of
the
country
and
the
efforts
to
decarbonise.
‘Rail
suppliers
are
very
clear
that
clarity
and
certainty
are
essential,
and
so
whilst
we
welcome
the
government’s
announcement
we
urge
the
government
to
simply
deliver
what
it
says
it
is
going
to
deliver.
The
industry
still
needs
clarity
on
the
details,
including
on
all
elements
of
HS2
and
Northern
Powerhouse
Rail,
and
sight
of
the
Rail
Network
Enhancements
Pipeline,
which
still
hasn’t
been
updated
in
over
three
years.
‘It
is
concerning
that
capital
budgets
will
seemingly
not
rise
as
planned
after
2024.
RIA
will
of
course
monitor
to
see
that
the
rail
renewals
budget
is
maintained
too,
to
ensure
there
is
no
deterioration
in
the
network.
To
deliver
both
transformational
major
projects
for
the
future
and
to
protect
today’s
railway,
the
industry
needs
the
government
to
commit
to
a
long-term
investment
package
beyond
2024.’