London Euston will be served by HS2, according to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
Following a claim that the project might no longer reach the capital's centre, the chancellor assured the public that the HS2 rail line will extend all the way to London Euston.
According to The Sun, due to growing construction costs and inflation, trains may now end up in west London.
According to the newspaper, management was considering either delaying or eliminating the Euston terminus altogether.
According to Jeremy Hunt, there are no "possible conditions" in which it could "not wind up at Euston."
HS2, or High Speed 2, was once meant to link Leeds, Manchester, and Birmingham to London.
Since then, the Leeds leg has been dropped.
According to The Sun, the change would require passengers to take the Elizabeth Line or Tube to get to central London because trains would now depart from a new hub located around five miles (8 km) away at Old Oak Common.
Jeremy Hunt responded, "Yes we are and I don't see any conceivable conditions to why that will not end up at Euston," when asked if he and the government were committed to HS2 travelling all the way to London Euston.
The chancellor had earlier stated in a speech outlining his long-term strategy for economic expansion that HS2 was a "particular priority for me in the Autumn Statement."
The government, according to him, is "completely dedicated to proving that we can accomplish huge, crucial infrastructure projects."
"That is why we protected important projects like HS2, East West Rail, and core Northern Powerhouse Rail in the Autumn Statement," he continued.
The government, according to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, is "committed to delivering on the promises it has made with rail."
The Sun further stated that a two to five-year project delay is also being thought about.
Speaking at Bloomberg's European headquarters in London, Mr. Hunt expressed his extreme pride at the fact that "for the first time under a Conservative government, we have shovels in the ground."
However, significant infrastructure projects continue to take too long, and we must find a way to speed them up if we are to meet our goals.
The chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, Martin McTague, called HS2 a "enormous boost" for the Midlands' economic prospects.
He told the newsight23 that it was a crucial step in the leveling-up process and that failing to achieve it in west London would undermine many of the line's goals.
Mark Harper, the secretary of transportation, stated that HS2 was "experiencing significant levels of inflation" and that it was actively collaborating with "suppliers to limit inflationary increases."
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| Land near London's Euston mainline station has been cleared by HS2 Ltd in anticipation of the project's conclusion. |
The line's first phase, between London and Birmingham, is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in 2033.
However, there have been delays in the project and growing worries over its precise path and potential environmental effects.
At 2019 prices, the cost of HS2 was reportedly between £72 billion and £98 billion. HS2's overall budget was established at £55.7 billion in 2015, although this decision was made before the Leeds segment was shelved.
The £40.3bn target for the first portion of the line wasn't expected to be met, according to a report released in October of last year.
Mark Harper, the secretary of transportation, stated that HS2 was "experiencing significant levels of inflation" and that it was actively collaborating with "suppliers to limit inflationary increases."
Construction materials prices in the UK increased by 18% between August 2021 and August 2022, according to research from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Office for National Statistics that was published in September.
Inflation, according to Mr. Harper, is "increasing pressures against its present annual funding settlements" but is not "affecting the overall affordability of HS2 in real terms."
According to Henri Murison, CEO of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, there would be "a number of severe drawbacks" if the HS2 rail link did not travel to Euston.
Because they presently have access to central London via the regular mainline network, he explained to the newsight23, "people in the north of England, people in Birmingham, will actually want to obtain access to downtown London."
Lord Tony Berkeley argued that local and regional services would be a better use of funds and questioned whether London required any additional services.
The Labour peer said, "My belief is that we should aim for the regions - the north and the Midlands - to have a commuter service as excellent as in the south-east." The peer served as deputy head of a government study into HS2 in 2019.
Sir John Armitt, the chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, told newsight23 News in November that reducing the length of the HS2 rail line would be "silly."
"I believe that the tremendous investment that was made in Birmingham in advance of HS2 really goes to show what is possible.
"Of course, Manchester is also now receiving investment as a result of HS2. That would be a really odd choice, in my opinion "said he.
The proposal, according to the pressure group Stop HS2, will increase carbon emissions and harm scenic places. Protesters have constructed tunnels in an effort to obstruct the construction of HS2, including seasoned eco-protester Swampy.
Last Monday, a top official with the Department of Transportation issued a warning that the project would face "very serious decisions."
