Urgent clarity is needed over the future of the £55bn HS2 high-speed rail project, MPs have warned, criticising the “significant uncertainty” faced by local communities as the government deliberates.
MPs on the influential public accounts committee have said the government must set out “a realistic timetable for delivering HS2” and that the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, should make clear by the autumn if the first stage of the route, from London to the West Midlands, will be complete by 2026. In June, the National Audit Office said HS2’s first phase could potentially be delayed by up to a year.
The committee said it was concerned that the timetable for opening phase one by 2026 was overly ambitious and cost estimates for phase two exceeded available funding by £7bn.
After a Cabinet Office-led review of the estimated costs of phase two last year, the Department for Transport (DfT) and HS2 Ltd identified up to £9bn of potential savings, but the MPs said in the report published on Wednesday that they were not confident this could be achieved without sacrificing or adversely affecting many of the benefits of the project.
The transport department is expected to make a decision by the autumn on phase two of the project, which extends a branch of the network to Crewe and another to Manchester and Leeds.
However, the committee’s report also warned that cost estimates for the second phase were “still volatile and must be firmed up urgently”.
The committee’s chair, Meg Hillier, said: “Parliament and the public are still in the dark about crucial details – not least when the railway will open, how much it is expected to cost and precisely where it will go.
“The public must be confident the grand vision for HS2 does not blind the government to the finer points, which have implications for many people’s lives now and in the decades to come.”
The report comes days after Simon Kirby, the boss of HS2 Ltd, quit his role to become chief operating officer of Rolls-Royce, which the MPs said “adds to the uncertainty enveloping a project on which strong and stable leadership is vital”.
One key detail that needed clarification was the HS2 station in South Yorkshire, originally planned for the out-of-town Meadowhall shopping centre but which HS2 Ltd has recommended be moved to Sheffield city centre.
The committee said the uncertainty was having a knock-on effect on the rest of the transport system, including on proposed transport investment in the rest of the north of England.
“Greater assurance about sources of funding and finance for regeneration and growth is required to ensure that the promised regional benefits from High Speed 2 materialise,” it said.
A DfT spokesperson said: “The government is fully committed to HS2 and the project is on time and on budget. We are keeping a tough grip on costs, and pressing ahead with plans for phase two – with further details due to be announced this autumn.
“Improving regional infrastructure is vital in supporting regional growth and building an economy that works for everyone. HS2 is a key part of this, and will be the backbone of our national rail network.”
