HS2: Government unclear on Euston station goal, report finds

1 year ago 25

Computer-generated representation of what Euston HS2 presumption would look like

The authorities inactive does not cognize what it is trying to execute with the High Speed 2 (HS2) presumption astatine Euston, a parliamentary committee study states.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said this was contempt the Department for Transport (DfT) spending implicit 8 years readying and designing it.

In March it was announced that presumption enactment had been paused for 2 years.

The DfT said it remained "committed to delivering HS2 successful the astir cost-effective way".

The PAC study called connected the DfT to usage the existent intermission successful operation connected the task to found the plan and expectations for the presumption against what it is consenting to spend.

It called the archetypal £2.6bn fund "completely unrealistic", with estimates present suggesting the outgo to physique the presumption to beryllium astir £4.8bn.

It besides said the section indispensable supply greater transparency successful its six-monthly updates to Parliament.

Previous updates connected outgo pressures astatine Euston did not disclose the risks that operation costs could beryllium importantly higher than expected, the committee said.

Other conclusions and recommendations from the PAC study included:

The section does not yet cognize the costs and impacts of pausing construction
The section and HM Treasury person not reached a wide knowing astir however they would negociate precocious levels of ostentation connected the HS2 programme
The department's reports to Parliament connected the HS2 Programme did not bespeak the important level of uncertainty successful its estimated outgo of Euston station
The section has not yet learned lessons from managing large obstruction programmes

Dame Meg Hillier MP, seat of the committee, said the Euston task was "floundering".

She said the strategy had caused "major disruption to the section community" and pausing it was "not outgo free", adjacent though it had been done to prevention money.

"The authorities indispensable present beryllium wide what it is trying to execute with this caller station, and however it volition payment the public," she added.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Work connected Euston presumption has been paused for 2 years

Responding to the report, a DfT spokesperson said: "Earlier this twelvemonth we made the determination to rephrase the operation of Euston to assistance equilibrium the nation's books and enactment connected an affordable plan for the station.

"The National Audit Office precocious acknowledged this volition supply clip to enactment the presumption plan connected a much unchangeable footing and we proceed to enactment astatine gait to guarantee the transformational benefits of HS2 are delivered to passengers by amended connecting our biggest cities, supporting thousands of jobs and helping turn the economy.

"We enactment the recommendations made successful the committee's study and volition respond to them successful owed course."

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