Louise Haigh, the shadow transport secretary, said: “Tens of thousands of jobs, and billions in economic growth are dependent on this project. Labour politicians and business groups expressed dismay and labelled the delay a false economy. Under the last announced schedule, London-Manchester trains were due to start to run some time between 20.

Sources close to the project suggested that the completion of the line into London Euston could now be pushed further back until the 2040s, with the full capacity of the London terminus only required when the line to Manchester is open. Harper said that the government remained committed to HS2 trains eventually reaching Euston in central London, but was “prioritising HS2’s initial services between Old Oak Common in London and Birmingham Curzon Street to provide delivery of passenger benefits as soon as possible”. On HS2, Harper said: “We have seen significant inflationary pressure and increased project costs, and so we will rephase construction by two years, with an aim to deliver high-speed services to Crewe and the north-west as soon as possible after accounting for the delay in construction.” In a written statement to MPs, the transport secretary, Mark Harper, said other transport investment projects would also have to lapse in “difficult decisions”.Īctive travel budgets, including cycling schemes in cities, will also be slashed for the next two years to a total of about £100m, compared with £850m in the last three years. The flagship Lower Thames Crossing, a £7bn tunnel and road scheme linking Essex and Kent, will be deferred for at least two years, into National Highways’ next five-year phase of roadbuilding. One of the biggest road schemes will also be kicked into the long grass as transport budgets face swingeing real-terms cuts from 2025. Trains may now not run all the way to and from central London until years later than planned as the government “takes time to ensure we have an affordable and deliverable station design” at Euston. Parts of the HS2 line between Birmingham, Crewe and Manchester will be “rephased” by two years, meaning the line to Crewe may not be open until 2036, and Manchester not until 2043.

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