Construction on the HS2 tunnels from west London to Euston station will start “fairly soon”, the rail minister has said.
Lord Hendy of Richmond stressed the Government had “cracked” how to press ahead with the huge project by using public funds to pay for the underground work to link Old Oak Common station with Euston.
Tunnelling is expected to start within months.
During a debate on airports including Heathrow expansion, the rail minister highlighted how the Government was also forging ahead with the London end of the high speed line with Birmingham.
“We have cracked Euston to Old Oak Common, at least, because the Government are going to fund the tunnelling machines and they will start fairly soon,” he said.
Two new tunnel boring machines will build the pair of 4.5-mile tunnels from Old Oak Common to Euston.
The work is expected to start in spring 2026 and take around 18 months, with the machines operating 24 hours a day.
The cost of the HS2 line has ballooned, possibly to more than £80 billion, and doubt was cast after Labour came to power last summer on whether it would run all the way to Euston.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves ordered a review of all major projects as she sought to get a grip on the nation’s crippled public finances.
Rishi Sunak, as Prime Minister, had already ditched the second leg of the high speed line from Birmingham to Manchester and wanted to fund the Euston development with more private funding.
But Ms Reeves pledged in the Budget last year that funding would be found for the tunnel from Old Oak Common to Euston.
As peers debated Heathrow expansion, Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Baroness Pidgeon said it was her party’s view that the building of a third runway would be “a mistake” and would “deliver a blow to our net zero commitments”.
Meanwhile, Tory shadow transport minister Lord Moylan said the Government “has a lot to do to show that this project is credible”.
Ms Reeves has backed another runway at the west London airport as she seeks economic growth for Britain.
Lord Hendy told the Upper Chamber: “I think the place to start here is to say that it is quite clear that having more capacity for an airport that has been at capacity for two decades is a really important step for economic growth and the future of our country.
“Heathrow is the only international airport hub in Britain: it deserves to function properly and for the economy of the nation.”
But London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has vowed to oppose the expansion which will cause more noise for Londoners from tens of thousands more overhead flights.
Heathrow’s plans for a third runway and to modernise the airport are set to cost £49 billion.
