The
cost


of
abandoning
HS2
north
of
the
West
Midlands
has
topped
£2
billion,
according
to
HS2
Ltd.

In
its
latest
annual
report,
for
2023-24,
the
government’s
developer
said
it
had
written
off
costs
of
£1,003
million
which
had
been
spent
on
Phases
2A
to
Crewe,
Phase
2B
to
Manchester
and
the
new
station
at
London
Euston.

This
total
consisted
of
£713
million
on
Phase
2A,
£137
million
on
Phase
2B
West
and
£153
million
on
Euston
station.
In
addition,
there
was
a
further
£1,074
million
in
costs
previously
incurred
on
Phase
2,
plus
almost
£95
million
spent
north
of
Birmingham
since
the
Crewe
and
Manchester
sections
were
cancelled,
giving
a
total
of
approximately
£2,172
million.

The
£95
million
spent
since
Prime
Minister
Rishi
Sunak
cancelled
Phases
2A
and
2B
last
October
included
‘remediation,
reinstatement,
and
costs
of
exiting
the
phase
with
an
orderly,
regular,
and
safe
cessation
of
activities’,
according
to
the
report.

The
changes
at
London
Euston,
which
have
yet
to
be
confirmed
or
funded,
reduce
the
size
of
the
proposed
station
from
10
to
six
platforms.
The
report
explains:
‘The
company
is
no
longer
expected
to
gain
an
economic
benefit
from
the
specific
design
work
already
completed
on
the
10-platform
station.
Accordingly,
the
company
has
impaired
the
value
of
the
work
that
can
no
longer
be
used
by
reducing
the
asset
value
and
declaring
the
expenditure
[£152.9
million]
as
a
loss.’