HS2
Over three years on from our blog Chancellors Amersham – weighing up HS2, the debate about the controversial high speed rail link project, HS2, carries on.

The initial plan is for a new line from London to Birmingham, with later extensions to Manchester and Leeds. Despite the Stop HS2 campaign group calling on the new transport secretary, Chris Grayling, to urgently review the project on cost grounds, and the effect on towns and cities near the route, he does not intend to back away from the project citing the need for increased capacity to meet the growing demand from passengers and freight.

MPs are due to vote on the first phase of the HS2 project later this year. If approved, construction is due to start next year with the London to Birmingham section completed by 2026 and connections to Manchester and Leeds coming in 2032.

Just last week, the Commons Public Accounts Committee requested urgent clarity over HS2’s future given “significant uncertainty” among local communities as the government, facing escalating cost estimates, deliberates over the precise route. The PAC detailed a litany of reasons why the first phase will be delayed even beyond 2026, amid multi-billion pound cost overruns. And the committee’s report came just days after Simon Kirby, the boss of HS2, quit his job to move to Rolls-Royce.

It is clear there are many issues that still need resolving. Even when MPs have voted, the controversy will continue as the risks and benefits are debated.

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