Boris Johnson has finally given the green light to the controversial HS2 project despite soaring costs and environmental concerns.
He faced down Tory opposition to the rail scheme - including in his own Cabinet - saying the Government has “got to have guts” to deliver.
The Prime Minister admitted that costs have “exploded” from the original £56bn bill to as high as £106bn.
He blamed the eye-watering sums - which some MPs want to be spent on local transport instead - on “poor management” by the firm responsible.
The Government plans to appoint a minister whose full-time job it would be to manage the project.
But Labour accused ministers of being unable to properly manage big infrastructure projects or “keeping a lid” on the costs.
And it warned that Mr Johnson had promised much to the people of the Midlands and North during the election - but they would end up “sorely disappointed” when they saw how it worked out.
Outgoing leader Jeremy Corbyn claimed the PM was fond of announcing “big shiny projects” which didn’t amount to much.
Mr Johnson’s own record on such projects includes a Garden Bridge and Thames Estuary Airport which flopped when he was London Mayor.
The first stage of High Speed 2, which will kick off next month, will go from London to Crewe, reducing journey times considerably.
Delivery of the Northern stages to Manchester and Leeds will be reviewed to try to cut costs and speed up the timetable.
Mr Johnson wants to integrate the final stages with existing - and future - rail links across the North.
This includes Northern Powerhouse Rail which would stretch from Liverpool to Hull, adding £39bn to the total bill.
The PM told the Commons: “We face a historic choice, we can try to get by with existing routes from North to South or we can have the guts to take a decision, no matter how difficult and controversial.”
But Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, whose constituency will be cut in two by the HS2, said HS2 was “unloved, unwanted and has been grossly mismanaged”.
And Greenpeace’s John Sauven said Mr Johnson’s decision would give him the “dubious honour” of being this century’s largest destroyer of ancient woodlands.
Where will HS2 go?
The high-speed railway line will go from London to Birmingham and then a Y-shaped extension in two phases - the first from the West Midlands to Crewe followed by the second from Crewe to Manchester, and Birmingham to Leeds. It will carry 400m-long trains with as many as 1,100 seats each, running at 250mph and 14 times an hour in each direction. Building work will begin on the route to Birmingham next month.
Whose idea was it?
Gordon Brown’s Labour government backed the high-speed line in 2009 to address capacity issues on the West Coast mainline. They suggested it should eventually extend to Scotland. But the UK’s first high-speed link came with the opening of the 67-mile line between London and the Channel Tunnel. HS2 was supported by the coalition and Theresa May’s government, and now by Boris Johnson.
Why do we need it?
Britain’s crumbling rail network dates back to the Victorian era and trains are limited to speeds no greater than 125mph. Demand for both passenger and rail freight has increased dramatically over the last two decades but the capacity of the network has not. With HS2 more people will be able to use the train and journey times will fall - boosting the economy of the North and Midlands.
How much will it cost?
The official price tag for HS2 was announced in the 2015 Budget and came in at just under £56bn. The Government now estimates the cost has increased to between £72bn and £98bn for the whole route. The Oakervee review into the project recommended ministers should proceed - but his deputy didn’t agree and put the final bill as high as £106bn. Adding HS3 right across the Pennines would add at least £39bn to the bill.
What went wrong?
The PM has blamed poor management by HS2 Ltd, the firm set up to run the project. The cost has spiralled in part because of unrealistic land and property valuations for the areas it cuts through and the expense of tunnels underneath the Chilterns and central London. Whitehall spending watchdog the National Audit Office blamed the complexity of the project and said risks were under-estimated.
Is it worth the money?
Successive prime ministers - now including one-time sceptic Boris Johnson - think it will deliver a huge boost to the economy. Doug Oakervee, who led the review into the project, claimed it would give a return of £1 to £2.10 for every £1 spent over 60 years. But his deputy Lord Berkeley thought it would deliver a return of just 63p. Ministers now think the figure is around £1.40 for each pound invested.
How long will the project take to build?
Stage one from London to the West Midlands was due to open at the end of 2026. But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps admitted last year it could now be 2028-2031 before the first trains run, which has been pushed back to 2029. The second phase to Manchester and Leeds was due to open in 2032-33, but that has now been delayed to 2030-2040. The PM has said he wants the North to feel the benefits well before then.
What difference will it make to my journey?
The DfT claims it will cut journey times from London to Birmingham from one hour 21 minutes to just 52 minutes from London to Birmingham.
Journeys from London to Manchester will go down from two hours seven minutes to one hour seven minutes, while going from the Midlands to Leeds will take just 49 minutes. The PM claims journeys from Glasgow to London will be 50 minutes quicker.
Who backs the scheme?
The PM is driving the scheme forward despite Tory opposition. He has political backing from Labour - although Jeremy Corbyn criticised the failure to keep a lid on the costs. Northern and Midlands city mayors hope it will boost regional economies while business groups think it will inject confidence into the economy. Some MPs argued that the construction of HS2 would create thousands of jobs.
Is there any opposition?
Lots, including from Mr Johnson’s chief aide Dominic Cummings and his transport tsar Andrew Gilligan. HS2 will plough through about 70 constituencies - many Tory held - and locals are worried about disruption and noise. Other Tory MPs in new “blue wall” seats would prefer the money was spent on local transport links. Environmental groups claim construction work will devastate many natural habitats.
