HS2 ‘will arrive’ at London Euston

CHANCELLOR Jeremy Hunt has said he did not see ‘any conceivable circumstances’ in which HS2 would not run to its planned central London terminus at Euston, amid reports that section of the route could be axed because of rising costs.

Soaring inflation means the redeveloped Euston station may not open until 2038 and could be axed completely, with trains instead stopping at a new hub at Old Oak Common in west London’s suburbs, according to reports.

It was also reported that a two to five-year delay to the entire project is being considered.

Mr Hunt, asked by BBC News after a central London speech whether ministers were committed to HS2 going ‘all the way to Euston,’ replied: “Yes we are.

“And I don’t see any conceivable circumstances in which that would not end up at Euston. And indeed I prioritised HS2 in the autumn statement.”

Mr Hunt said the UK does not have ‘a good record’ of delivering complex, expensive infrastructure quickly, but he is ‘incredibly proud’ that HS2 is being built under a Conservative Government. He added: “We’re going to make it happen.”

Complexities around the Euston site meant high-speed services were already due to temporarily start and end at Old Oak Common, with passengers using the Elizabeth line to travel to and from central London.

That would add at least half an hour on to journeys to and from Euston.

A ‘full business case’ for HS2 published by the DfT in April 2020 stated that the target timeframe for services launching between Old Oak Common and Birmingham was 2029-2033, whereas for trains between Euston

and north-west England the range was 2031-2036.

The document also stated: “Euston is an important part of realising the benefits of HS2 and that work should continue on the section from Old Oak Common to Euston.

“Notwithstanding this, Euston is a very challenging, complex major programme and given its current status, Old Oak Common will be expected to operate as a temporary terminus for a period of time.”

Lord Berkeley, deputy chairman of a review into HS2 commissioned by thenPrime Minister Boris Johnson in August 2019, said that Old Oak Common could only have capacity for around half the trains of Euston.

He said: “There’s not enough space for it (to be the London terminal) so they couldn’t do it except maybe (for) a shuttle service from Birmingham.

“What’s the point of building HS2 just to get to Birmingham? I think the whole thing should be cancelled.”

He claimed investment in the project would be ‘much better spent on improving the railway lines in the north, east and west, than going to London a bit quicker.’