Johnson set to confirm HS2 during Commons statement

BORIS JOHNSON is set to announce today the HS2 high-speed rail link will go ahead as he unveils major transport plans.

He is reported to be ready to announce the major rail boost for the North despite concerns about the costs and the impact on the environment.

The announcement is expected to be made during a major Commons statement when the

Prime Minister is set to unveil a £5bn cash injection to overhaul bus and cycle links in English regions outside London.

Mr Johnson will say the fiveyear funding package will provide more frequent services and simpler, more affordable fares.

It will also allow for new priority bus routes and the purchase of at least 4,000 zero-emission buses in England and Wales.

The bus and cycling announcement is seen as a sop to placate Tory MPs critical of HS2 who have argued the money would be better spent on improving local transport links in the North and the Midlands. As well improving bus services, Mr Johnson will promise 250 miles of new cycle routes, with dozens of “mini-Holland” schemes to make town centres safer for cyclists.

Ahead of the announcement, Mr Johnson said: “Local transport connections have a truly transformative role to play in levelling up infrastructure across the country.

“Our daily journeys for work or leisure are about so much more than just getting from A to B – they are the key to accessing skilled jobs and opportunities, boosting businesses and unlocking economic growth for towns, cities and regions across this country. That’s why improving connectivity by overhauling bus services and making cycling easier than ever is such an important step forward, to make sure every community has the foundations it needs to thrive.”

For Labour, Shadow Transport Secretary Andy McDonald was critical of Mr Johnson.

“After years of under-investment and cuts, this unambitious announcement is nowhere near enough to make the difference that transport users, our economy or our environment need,” he said. “The Conservatives are refusing to reverse their colossal £645m-a-year cuts to bus budgets, which have caused thousands of routes to be axed and fares to soar.”