HS2 could be built in the north FIRST after Boris Johnson focuses on Crewe, Manchester and Leeds 

HS2 could be built in the north FIRST after Boris Johnson shows interest in ripping up London to Birmingham high-speed rail link and focusing on Crewe, Manchester and Leeds instead

  • The House of Lords economic committee already expressed regret that construction did not begin in the north in the first place 
  • A review is looking at whether the  project should be scaled back or even scrapped to cut costs 
  • Starting the project in the north would involve enormous upheaval is likely to put it massively behind schedule

Prime minister Boris Johnson has expressed personal interest in having the northern phase of HS2 built first

Boris Johnson has expressed personal interest in having the northern phase of HS2 built first, it was claimed last night.

A review into the controversial high-speed rail link is looking at whether it should be scrapped or scaled back to cut costs.

Days before the review was launched on Wednesday, Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister’s most senior adviser, is understood to have described HS2 as a ‘disaster zone’.

Radical options being considered for Britain’s biggest ever infrastructure project include running slower, less regular trains and only building the first phase of the line between London and Birmingham.

But according to a report in The Times, Mr Johnson has already shown personal interest in the idea of ripping up existing plans and bringing forward the second phase from Crewe to Manchester and Birmingham to Leeds. 

This would tally with his vow to ‘level the playing field’ between the North and South.

A Whitehall source stressed that no decisions on HS2 had been made but said Mr Johnson is ‘dedicated to infrastructure, particularly in the North’.

Last month, in one of his first policy pledges as Prime Minister, he set out plans for a new trans-Pennine rail route between Manchester and Leeds to boost prosperity in the North.

A review into the controversial high-speed rail link is looking at whether it should be scrapped or scaled back to cut costs

A review into the controversial high-speed rail link is looking at whether it should be scrapped or scaled back to cut costs

An influential report by the House of Lords economic committee has already expressed regret that construction of HS2 did not begin in the North in the first place.

Arguing that the North had been ‘short-changed’, it said the main beneficiaries of overcrowding relief from High Speed 2 will be London commuters using the West Coast Main Line in and out of London Euston.

The committee of economic heavyweights, which includes former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling, raised fears that spiralling costs could mean the Government runs out of money by the time the line reaches Birmingham. 

But starting the work in the North would involve enormous upheaval and is likely to put the project massively behind schedule.

The House of Lords economic committee had already expressed regret that construction did not begin in the north in the first place

The House of Lords economic committee had already expressed regret that construction did not begin in the north in the first place

Construction work at Euston station in London to prepare for HS2 is well under way, with the first phase up to Birmingham set to be completed by 2026.

The second phase linking up to northern towns and cities including Crewe, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds is not scheduled for completion until 2033 and has not even received parliamentary approval.

With £6.6billion already spent without any track being laid, ministers appear to have abandoned hope that HS2 will be able to stick to its £56billion budget. 

Mr Johnson recently admitted that the final cost will ‘probably be north of £100billion’. 

HS2 trains would run at speeds of up to 225mph, cutting journey times. 

The review into HS2 was promised by the Prime Minister during his battle for the Tory leadership and helped win the support of Tory MPs fiercely opposed to the rail line.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has said the ‘independent and rigorous’ review will consider ‘whether and how HS2 should proceed’, with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps saying ministers need ‘clear evidence’ before deciding whether it was a ‘go or no go’.

But Douglas Oakervee, the 78-year-old former chairman of HS2 picked by Mr Johnson to head the review, told The Times: ‘It would be a sad day if we scrapped it. It’s about how we deliver it and what’s delivered.’

The DfT declined to comment last night. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk