It would be “irresponsible” to keep putting money into the HS2 project in the face of rising costs, a Cabinet minister has said as Rishi Sunak reportedly considered scrapping the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the route.
A Government minister has insisted the HS2 railway line “is being built” following reports that Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt are in talks about scrapping the project’s second stage.
Pausing HS2 work at Euston shows the Government “does not know what it is trying to achieve” with the station despite more than eight years of planning, MPs warned.
Future Government-backed infrastructure projects must pass a sniff test with businesses to prevent another “financial catastrophe” like HS2, ministers have heard.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper has accepted delays to HS2 will not save money, but told MPs the Government had to make “sensible decisions” due to having annual budgets.
