Higgins expected to cut HS2 timescale

HS2 chairman Sir David Higgins is today expected to recommend building the high speed north-south rail line three years earlier than planned, as part of a raft of recommended changes designed to bolster public support for the line.

Higgins’ report, to be unveiled at 9.30 this morning in Manchester, is also expected to recommend including construction of the line as far as Crewe under the first phase of construction, due to be complete by 2026.

Widespread reports add Higgins will recommend saving cash by not building the £700m proposed link between HS2 and HS1 in north London, and getting a comprehensive private sector redevelopment of Euston to fund the £1.2bn construction of the line’s London terminal.

According the Financial Times, Higgins will claim the whole second phase could be delivered by 2029, three years earlier than planned, despite the fact there is no parliamentary timetable for the detailed legislation needed to give the go-ahead for the second phase.

Higgins’ report was commissioned by prime minister David Cameron in November in a bid to shore up waning public support for the line, for which the most significant threat is a loss of the cross-party political support needed to ensure its construction across multiple parliaments.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls appeared to suggest yesterday that Higgins’ report would do enough in the short term to allay fears an incoming Labour government would can the scheme.

In an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday, Ed Balls confirmed that he was satisfied Sir David was “bearing down” on the HS2 budget and that his party would back legislation to get it built as far as Birmingham – stage one of the line.

However he made it clear that a Labour government would completely review options for the second phase of the line, raising fears over whether Higgins’ aspiration of an early completion for the second phase would in that scenario be realistic.

“We need to strengthen the evidence base. We have to make sure we get the best outcome from this investment,” he said,

He added that Labour would “start from first principles” in ensuring that the second stage of the line – from Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester – delivered maximum benefits in jobs, investment and transport connections.

Katja Hall, CBI chief policy director, said the report would “help build confidence” in the budget for the scheme.

She added: “The best way to keep a lid on costs is to move to the construction stage quickly and we would urge politicians on all sides of the House to get behind this important project.

“HS2 will connect eight of our ten largest cities and boost local economies along the route, and the proposed interchange at Crewe is particularly good news for the north.”