Labour vows to reinstate HS2

LABOUR has privately indicated to the rail industry that it plans to resurrect part of the Northern leg of HS2, sources have told The Telegraph.

Louise Haigh, the shadow transport secretary, and her team are said to have suggested they want to reverse Rishi Sunak’s decision to axe the high-speed route between Birmingham and Crewe.

That is despite the fact Sir Keir Starmer has publicly stated it is “not possible” to revive the project because the Government has “blown the budget”.

At the Tory conference last October the Prime Minister cancelled the entire HS2 line north of Birmingham to save £36 billion. He pledged that all of the money recuperated would be redirected towards improving local road, rail and bus services across the North.

The Telegraph has been told that Ms Haigh wants to resurrect phase 2a of the project, between Birmingham and Crewe, which would cost around £7 billion.

Whitehall sources said she and her junior ministers have suggested to industry leaders they still want to deliver the northern leg despite Sir Keir’s public remarks.

Bill Esterson, the shadow roads minister, hinted at the ambition earlier this month. “HS2 was due to reduce the number of lorry movements by 500,000 a year. It was a project that was designed to increase capacity not least for freight,” he wrote on Linkedin.

“The cancellation by Rishi Sunak has left huge challenges for the industry especially on the congested section of the network between Birmingham and Crewe. The Labour Party will work with the rail freight sector to ensure that we can grow freight capacity.”