Minister unable to say if HS2 will attain Manchester – however insists levelling up agenda ‘steaming forward’

The levelling up agenda is “steaming ahead”, a authorities minister has insisted – regardless of being unable to say whether or not the HS2 rail hyperlink will go to Manchester as deliberate.

Policing minister Chris Philp mentioned there have been “spades in the ground” and “track being laid” for the rail line that may hyperlink London to the North in phases – however he mentioned didn’t know “exactly what is or is not being considered”.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Philp mentioned: “I’m a Home Office minister, so I’m afraid I don’t know about exactly what is or is not being considered. But I do know that work is ongoing as we speak to construct the line.”

Pressed on why he didn’t know the main points as a member of the federal government, he mentioned: “Well, I can tell you that work on the line is ongoing at the moment. It is being built and those trains are going to go very fast from London, going North as soon as the line is finished.”

Fresh doubts have been thrown over the way forward for HS2 after Downing Street refused to ensure the excessive velocity line will run to Manchester – amid stories that Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt are contemplating scrapping the second stage.

The questions marks over Manchester have prompted anger from politicians – together with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who mentioned: “The southern half of England gets a modern rail system and the North left with Victorian infrastructure. Levelling up? My a***.”

Asked about Mr Burnham’s feedback on Sky News this morning. Mr Philp mentioned: “There is £3bn this yr being invested in levelling up within the North.

“There are new rail projects, more local rail projects being invested in the North.”

“The government is moving departments up into the North. So the levelling up agenda is steaming ahead.”

It comes after The Independent reported ministers have been contemplating shelving the northern part amid considerations about spiralling prices and extreme delays.

The Independent mentioned a value estimate revealed that the federal government has already spent £2.3bn on stage two of the railway from Birmingham to Manchester, however that ditching the northern part might save as much as £34bn.

The newspaper mentioned the paperwork have been mentioned at a gathering in Downing Street on Tuesday and recommended the £2.3bn was no longer recoverable even whether it is cancelled.

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The prime minister’s official spokesman mentioned: “I can’t comment on speculation around a leaked document. It is obviously standard process for departments to discuss the phasing of major projects like HS2 … but the work is already under way,” he mentioned.

Asked whether or not the prime minister was dedicated to the road going to Manchester, the spokesman mentioned: “We are committed to HS2, to the project.

“I am unable to touch upon the hypothesis that is a results of {a photograph}. We are as you realize trying on the rephasing of the work in the most effective pursuits of passengers and taxpayers.”

Read extra:
HS2 defined: What is it and why are components being delayed?

Signs that the leg to the northern metropolis could also be in bother got here when the DfT confirmed in March that work on the essential leg between Birmingham and Crewe – which is then attributable to proceed to Manchester – must be placed on maintain due to the affect of inflation.

It meant that companies weren’t going to increase to Manchester till the 2040s.

Delivery of the high-speed railway has been a core pledge of the Conservative authorities, nevertheless it has been affected by delays and ever-increasing prices.

The preliminary opening date of 2026 has fallen again to 2033, whereas value estimates have spiralled from about £33bn in 2010 to £71bn in 2019 – excluding the ultimate jap leg from the West Midlands to the East Midlands.

It isn’t just the northern part of the undertaking that has encountered bother, as there are additionally doubts about the way forward for Euston station in London.