Reports


this
morning
claim
that
the
government
is
set
to
partly
reverse
Rishi
Sunak’s
decision
to
cancel
HS2
north
of
the
West
Midlands,
by
building
Phase
2A
to
Crewe.

It
is
said
that
the
Prime
Minister
could
announce
the
change
of
heart
in
the
New
Year.

Legal
powers
to
build
this
section
already
exist,
and
land
has
been
acquired
in
many
places.

The
report,
which
first
appeared
on
LBC,
follows
advice
last
week
from
the
High
Speed
Rail
Group
that
completing
HS2
to
Euston
and
also
restoring
the
section
between
the
West
Midlands
and
Crewe
could
make
the
line
much
more
valuable
to
a
potential
concession-holder.

The
Group
includes
major
contractors
like
Hitachi,
Alstom
and
Siemens
and
is
supported
by
the
high
speed
rail
lobby
group
Greengauge21.
It
says
the
full
route
could
be
worth
£20
billion
to
a
leaseholder,
but
much
less
if
the
line
only
connects
Old
Oak
Common
with
Birmingham,
and
that
the
difference
could
more
than
pay
for
the
Euston
section,
which
could
also
be
revived.

HS1
is
already
leased
until
2040,
and
the
Group
says
a
similar
model
could
be
applied
on
HS2.

A
separate
scheme
had
also
been
suggested
by
Greater
Manchester
Mayor
Andy
Burnham
and
former
West
Midlands
Mayor
Andy
Street,
who
have
put
forward
a
proposal
to
build
a
less
ambitious
line
with
a
lower
speed,
which
could
cut
costs
by
as
much
as
40
per
cent.

The
reports
that
Phase
2A
could
go
ahead
after
all
have
already
attracted
critics
like
the
right-wing
TaxPayers’
Alliance.
Its
chief
executive
John
O’Connell
said:
‘A
decision
to
reverse
changes
to
HS2
would
only
further
derail
the
public
finances,
all
for
the
sake
of
a
massive
white
elephant
that
taxpayers
simply
can’t
afford.

‘The
case
for
HS2
has
long
since
been
torn
to
shreds
by
uncontrollable
costs,
changes
to
rail
usage
and
the
much
greater
need
for
investment
in
alternative
projects.

‘If
Labour
want
to
fill
the
black
hole
in
the
budget
they’d
be
better
off
pulling
the
plug
on
the
whole
scheme.’ 

The
Department
for
Transport
has
not
commented
on
the
latest
claims
in
detail,
saying
only:
‘Transport
is
an
essential
part
of
the
Government’s
mission
to
rebuild
Britain
and
grow
our
economy.
We
are
committed
to
improving
rail
connectivity
across
the
North,
working
with
local
leaders
to
do
so.’