The HS2 rail scheme will serve up a major boost for the North despite escalating costs, an independent review claims.
Former HS2 chairman Douglas Oakervee has penned the report which recommends that the project go ahead, in spite of costs rising to around £88bn.
The report has been leaked to The Times, which outlines how Mr Oakervee recommends that the government commit to the full high-speed rail network, a 250mph scheme linking London with cities across the North and Midlands.
Mr Oakervee’s review will now apply further pressure on Boris Johnson to reveal the Conservatives’ plans for the network, having previously sought to put off any decision until after the general election.
The leaked report also says that that the rising costs mean that the benefit to taxpayers has fallen from £2.30 for every £1 two years ago, to between £1.30 and £1.50 for every £1 which has been spent this year.
Cities across the Midlands and the North would get a big boost from the network, the report says, with improved connectivity resulting in journeys between Leeds and Birmingham being halved, while trips between Newcastle and Birmingham would be reduced by around an hour.
Responding to the report, Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership said:
"It is welcome that their recommendations are mirrored by the governments own Oakervee Review.”
"Now Oakervee recommendations are being debated in public, the time for being equivocal on this issue has run out. Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat candidates in the North are committing to back the Connecting Britain campaign of business and civic leaders.
"All their leaders must unequivocally do the same.”
