I have watched from afar as reports build about the increasing budget for HS2 and its decreasing popularity in opinion polls. A new report coming out of the Treasury suggests that Liz Truss MP is considering axing infrastructure projects with out of control budgets.
With that in mind, what medium term consequences would there be if the reports are accurate?
From my perspective, if the WCML truly was congested, it would have ground to a halt by now. It cannot be that vital to build HS2 if the timetable is for the first stage to be completed in so many years from now.
So my speculation for this thread is that axing HS2 would not have much consequence, given that its current absence isn't having any detrimental effect on the network.
As for Euston, in the medium term, the current rebuilding works can continue, with inproved links to the Underground included.
The Liz Truss rumours come from this source; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ss-hints-controversial-HS2-link-scrapped.html
Quote from that article:
What does the forum think? Would axing HS2 truly be a bad thing or could the scrapping be a way to focus infrastructure spending more closely?
With that in mind, what medium term consequences would there be if the reports are accurate?
From my perspective, if the WCML truly was congested, it would have ground to a halt by now. It cannot be that vital to build HS2 if the timetable is for the first stage to be completed in so many years from now.
So my speculation for this thread is that axing HS2 would not have much consequence, given that its current absence isn't having any detrimental effect on the network.
As for Euston, in the medium term, the current rebuilding works can continue, with inproved links to the Underground included.
The Liz Truss rumours come from this source; https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ss-hints-controversial-HS2-link-scrapped.html
Quote from that article:
She said ministers must be prepared to pull the plug on big projects which are hit by spiralling costs rather than sit back and allow 'mission creep'.
The Treasury Minister's intervention comes amid dismay at the ballooning costs of the major railway projects HS2 and Crossrail.
Officials fear the costs of HS2 - a new rail link joining London to the West Midlands, Leeds and Manchester - could balloon past its £56billion budget to over £100bn.
Sir Terry Morgan last month resigned as chairman of HS2 and Crossrail projects amid reports he was about to be sacked after just four months in the job.
Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Ms Truss took what appeared to be a veiled swipe at the big and hugely divisive infrastructure projects.
What does the forum think? Would axing HS2 truly be a bad thing or could the scrapping be a way to focus infrastructure spending more closely?