The government-commissioned review into the HS2 high-speed railway “strongly advises against cancelling” the controversial project, according to reports.
The BBC said it has read the full final report from former HS2 chairman Douglas Oakervee, which it claimed says only building the first section of the line – from London to Birmingham – “doesn’t make sense”.
Reports said the government met yesterday to discuss the project, with chancellor Sajid Javid giving it his backing despite rising costs.
HS2 was originally expected to cost £56 billion and chairman Allan Cook later updated the budget to £88 billion. However, the BBC said the final report warns there is “considerable risk” that the first phase may need more money, placing the estimate at in excess of £100 billion.
The review’s deputy chair Lord Berkeley has claimed he was not given the chance to include his input in the final report, the conclusions of which he said he disagrees with. He released his own paper on the project suggesting HS2 is “the wrong and expensive solution” for the UK and recommended integrating Phase 2b within the Northern Powerhouse area into the existing network and improving lines to save money compared to building a new high-speed line.
HS2 is also already up to five years behind schedule, with the first section not due to open until between 2028 and 2031, and the second between 2035 and 2040.
The government was lambasted recently by the National Audit Office (NAO) for 'underestimating' the task at hand when the first phase of HS2 was given the go-ahead by MPs in 2017, "leading to optimistic estimates being used to set budgets and delivery dates”.
Despite the risks, the BBC said the report claimed cancelling the project would have a detrimental impact on the UK’s “fragile” construction industry.
It also said scrapping the second phase would not offer value for money for passengers in the north of England, but it does suggest doing more work on plans for that section to ensure costs remain under control.
According to the BBC, work that has already been done on the first phase has so far cost £9 billion.
Prime minister Boris Johnson has relayed mixed feelings on whether or not he backs HS2, which will affect large parts of his parliamentary constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip. He said he would hesitate to scrap a project of such “great national importance”, but raised doubts around the railway’s value for money.
However, it is widely believed that the government will give HS2 the green light after Johnson promised to prioritise regional connectivity during his latest campaign.
A final decision on the project is due next month.