17.03.16
Lord Adonis welcomes green light for HS3 and Crossrail 2 in Budget
Lord Adonis today welcomed confirmation that HS3 and Crossrail 2 are to go ahead in yesterday’s Budget.
Lord Adonis, chair of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), recently produced reports recommending that plans for the first phase of the HS3 network should be complete by the end of 2017 and that Crossrail 2 be delivered by 2033.
Chancellor George Osborne announced that the government is giving the go-ahead to both and £80m funding has been provided for Crossrail 2, while a further £300m has been allocated for improving northern transport. This includes the funding for the high-speed Leeds to Manchester route.
Lord Adonis said: “I am glad that the government has accepted our first three reports. Putting HS3 at the heart of a new High Speed North can help bring our great Northern cities together and fire growth and Crossrail 2 is vital to keep more than 10 million Londoners moving in the 2030s.”
The government will also allocate £50m to funding innovation in energy storage, demand-side response and other smart technologies following a third NIC report on smart power.
Osborne said in a letter to Lord Adonis yesterday: “These reports set out exactly the sort of challenging and innovative thinking that the commission was set up to provide, and as I said in my Budget speech earlier today, I welcome their publication.”
He recommended that the Commission next look into maximising the potential of the Cambridge – Milton Keynes – Oxford corridor, including East-West rail, and report back by the 2017 autumn statement.
A consultation on the proposed governance, structure and operation of the NIC – before the government introduce legislation to make it permanent – closes tonight.
(Image c. PA Wire)