'HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail must go ahead'

FORMER CHANCELLOR George Osborne – instigator of the Northern Powerhouse concept – has said HS2 “must go ahead”.

He also said the Government should go further and sign off HS3 or Northern Powerhouse Rail – a fast rail route connecting cities in the North from east to west.

The London Evening Standard editor told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "HS2 is absolutely critical to changing the economic geography of this country.

"For the nation that invented the railway, the fact we are the only nation in Europe without high-speed lines should be an embarrassment."

The former Conservative politician said the West

Coast Main Line, connecting major cities such as London, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, would be "completely packed" within the next three decades if capacity was not increased.

Mr Osborne added: "HS2 must go ahead. It must be accompanied by what is called Northern Powerhouse Rail or HS3, which is across the

North. I think that's critical."

It comes after former Labour transport spokesman Lord Berkeley said Parliament was "seriously misled" over the costs of HS2, which would be poor value for money and bad for the environment.

He also accused the project of being "completely out of control financially".

But a HS2 Ltd spokesman said there had been many individual views expressed about the HS2 project, of which Lord Berkeley's was just one.

Lord Berkeley's hard-hitting 70-page dissenting report into the high speed rail proposal listed several grave concerns.

Chief among them was the blow-out of estimated costs, with HS2 Ltd now putting the total expected price at £88bn.

The network was initially expected to cost £50.1bn but Lord Berkeley says independent analysis arrives at a figure of at least £107.92bn.

The Government has commissioned the Oakervee Review to evaluate the HS2 scheme, with the findings due to go before the Commons.