HS2 given go-ahead in Parliament

Addressing the House of Commons, prime minister Boris Johnson said the review ‘leaves no doubt of the clinching case for high speed rail’, adding that services could be running by the end of the decade if work on the project starts now, with Phase 1 costed at between £35bn and £45bn ‘in today’s prices’.

Johnson said: “Dramatic improvements to local transport and the decision to proceed with HS2 will shift this country’s centre of gravity away from the capital and transform connectivity between our towns and cities.

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“I am drawing a clear line under the mismanagement of the past – HS2 must be delivered more efficiently and cost-effectively so that communities feel its benefits more quickly, particularly those in the North.

“After thorough analysis of the benefits and impacts of the project, work on Phase 1 [between London and Birmingham] is set to start in April. Government will revive the legislation to deliver Phase 2a [connecting Birmingham to Crewe] as soon as possible so that preparation works can move forward.”