Anger at plan to shift HS2 Euston debris by road

HS2 chiefs have sparked fury by preparing to ditch promises to remove construction debris from Euston by rail — meaning an extra 26,000 HGV trips over two years, the Standard can reveal.

Changes to the construction of the high-speed station at Euston and the need to curb soaring costs have prompted the axing of plans to bring in materials and remove spoil excavated from the site by rail.

But critics say the move, which Camden council has warned could result in an estimated 25,863 additional lorry journeys to and from the site, “beggars belief” and will heighten concerns about road safety and pollution.

It also flies in the face of written “assurances” HS2 gave in 2016, when the HS2 Bill was going through Parliament, that it would “seek to maximise… the volume of excavated and construction material from the construction of Euston station and approaches to be brought in and be removed by rail”.

An average of 60 HS2 lorries a day are already allowed to use roads such as Euston Road, Hampstead Road and Albany Street but there would be about a 150 per cent rise in such vehicles.

Camden council has formally objected to the U-turn. It said many residents were already living with massive disruption and noise.

The changes have been driven by HS2’s need to save cash and the switch to a quicker “single stage” construction programme for a smaller 10-platform station at Euston. This would mean there would not be spare platforms for freight trains to remove the spoil.

Danny Beales, Camden’s cabinet member for communities, said: “It’s not technically infeasible to remove the spoil by train. It’s the disruption [to rail operators] and cost that they’re saying is untenable.”

The first leg of HS2, linking Old Oak Common and Birmingham, is due to open between 2029 and 2033. The HS2 station at Euston, which is facing a £400 million cost increase, would eventually link in to a rebuilt Network Rail station, which has yet to be funded.

HS2 said the revamped plans for Euston shortened the construction period “significantly” and meant that less spoil had to be removed.