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Birmingham Post
Birmingham Post
Business
Jonathan Walker

HS2 to be given PM's approval but phase 2 will be reviewed

The Prime Minister is expected to confirm today the HS2 project will go ahead, bringing to an end months of speculation about its future.

An announcement is due to be made following a meeting of the Cabinet this morning during which the new high-speed line will be discussed.

Phase one of the scheme, between Birmingham and London, and phase 2a, between Birmingham and Crewe, will be given government backing.

But phase 2b, running from Crewe to Manchester and Birmingham to the East Midlands and Yorkshire, will come under review.

This will be designed to make sure it offers value for money and could lead to changes to the proposed route and stations.

Listen to our new HS2 podcast here

Last year, Boris Johnson recruited former HS2 chairman Douglas Oakervee to carry out a review of the planned high-speed line amid a string of headlines about delays and spiralling costs.

In a separate move, managers at HS2 will lose responsibility for the upgrade of London Euston station where journeys on the new line would start and terminate.

The high-speed line will now terminate at Old Oak Common in west London for the first three years after HS2 opens after which a link to Euston is expected to launch.

Mr Johnson is also planning a shake-up of HS2's management and eight-member board, with additional non-executive directors brought in to stop the cost of the project rising further.

The Government is also expected to announce investment in local and regional infrastructure projects in the Midlands and North.

The Government will also pledge that HS2 will be integrated with the planned Northern Powerhouse line, which is due to link cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, Bradford, Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle and Hull.

Ministers are also expected to announce that work to electrify the Transpennine route between Manchester and York will go ahead.

And there will be a major package of bus measures announced today.

The infrastructure package will include investment in broadband and connectivity, and the Government will announce projects set to receive a slice of £40 million for pilots of 5G technologies in rural areas.

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