HS2 Minister Huw Merriman claims a public inquiry is not needed to figure out why the cost of the high-speed rail project has spiralled as there is already enough scrutiny.
It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak axed the northern leg, which was due to link Birmingham and Manchester, last week due to concerns about ballooning costs and said £36bn of the money “saved” will be invested in hundreds of other transport projects. Phase one of HS2, linking London and Birmingham, is expected to cost at least £45bn – more than double the original estimate of £20bn which was made back in 2012.
It came after the National Audit Office highlighted a range of issues with the management of the HS2 Euston station project in central London, claiming £106m had been wasted on designs that were not used and a two-year pause on construction had caused costs to rise. The Government said it is now looking to “strip back the project” and abandon plans for an expensive tunnel and underground station, after wasting “four years on two unaffordable designs”.
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