HS2

Extra £43bn needed to make the most of HS2, NIC chair says

A massive £43bn in extra funding is needed to ensure people can make the most of the HS2 project, the government’s infrastructure tsar has said.

Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) Sir John Armitt called on the government to allocate further resources to the scheme, arguing that the extra cash is needed to prevent “inadequate” transport links for those using public transport links around the major stations on the HS2 line.

Concerns in the industry have been raised about a disconnect between the surrounding public transport systems of cities which HS2 is planning to run through: the 330-mile track connecting London, the West Midlands, Manchester, Sheffield, and Leeds will lead to skyrocketing footfall and an increased pressure on surrounding bus, road, and metro services.

Armitt wrote in the Sunday Telegraph: “We cannot simply construct a new high-speed rail line and leave it at that: to get the biggest bang for our buck we need to think about the whole journey that passengers will take.

“Alongside investment in rail links across the country, we need to better fund improvements to transport within our cities.”

If his comments were heeded by the government, the total spending on HS2 would reach £99bn – three times the initial estimate of the project at £33bn in 2013, and more than double of last April’s forecast of £48bn for the Phase 1 route.

But the infrastructure commission chair argued that the potential impact of HS2 can extend for a century or even further, and its upfront costs should be considered in this context to “make the most of this opportunity” in providing further funding for major infrastructure programmes in the fastest-growing and most congested cities.

However, a DfT spokesperson said: “We are keeping a tough grip on costs and HS2 is on time and on budget. 

“HS2 will become the backbone of our national rail network – creating more seats for passengers, supporting growth and regeneration, and helping us build an economy that works for everyone.”

Beyond funding, HS2 Ltd’s outgoing boss Sir David Higgins has also claimed that the rail fares system must be simplified if the high-speed project is to “raise the bar for excellence in transport” as promised.

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Image credit: Nick Ansell, PA Images