Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has confirmed the HS2 rail route will not be linked to the Eurostar line.
This follows a report published last week from HS2 chairman David Higgins which indicated an extended route from London Euston to St. Pancras – where Eurostar departs – would be too expensive.
Higgins, who was responsible for ensuring London’s Olympic Park was built on time and on budget, said last week revised timetable could see a new “transport hub” opening in Crewe in 2027, connecting the high-speed line with services to the rest of the north west, Wales and Scotland.
The remaining links to Manchester and Leeds could then be completed as early as 2030, bringing the completion date for the whole project forward by three years, he said.
In a statement to MPs McLoughlin said the link “requires too many compromises” and said it would be removed from the HS2 legislation.
The move means there will be no through-trains from the north of England to Europe, but the transport secretary said he would commission a study into ways to improve connections.
Earlier this month McLoughlin admitted that legislation needed to build the high-speed rail project would not become law before the next general election in 2015.