Yorkshire MPs press for a rethink on '˜flawed' HS2 rail plans

The criticisms of the Public Accounts Committee – the House of Commons body tasked with ensuring that taxpayers receive value for money – will increase growing pressure on Theresa May to review to the viability of the £55.7bn scheme following her decision to re-examine the proposed new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point.

YP Comment: HS2 – can Theresa May afford not to intervene?

Though MPs are concerned that the first phase of HS2 from London to Birmingham is already one year over schedule – and may not now be completed until 2027 – they deliver a withering appraisal of the planned link between Sheffield and Leeds. They conclude that:

“Volatile” cost estimates for separate links from the Midlands to Leeds and Manchester still exceed budget by £7bn.

There are insufficient plans to link HS2 with the planned high-speed rail route from Leeds to Manchester.

Councils might need more money to regenerate land next to new stations.

The economic case for a new line through South Yorkshire, with a spur to Sheffield Midland station, is unproven.

Not enough regard has been given to the impact of route changes on those Yorkshire communities where hundreds of homes are threatened with demolition.

There is a shortage of experienced engineers to build HS2, despite a new skills college being built in Doncaster.

Superfast trains might have to slow down on sections on existing track unless the design of rolling stock is addressed.

“Greater assurance about sources of funding and finance for regeneration and growth is required to ensure that the promised regional benefits from the HS2 materialise,” concludes the report.

Committee members – including Don Valley MP Caroline Flint – also say it is “unclear how HS2 will fit with planned rail investment in the North, such as the proposed line connecting Manchester and Leeds”.

They also warn that there is “no quantification” of the “overall benefits” of the changes in South Yorkshire as a result of the decision to build a link to Sheffield city centre where just two trains an hour will stop compared to five at Meadowhall before a planned new station at the shopping complex was shelved .

The findings come just days after HS2 Ltd chief executive Simon Kirby – Britain’s highest paid civil servant – quit his £750,000 a year role after accepting a new job with Rolls-Royce.

Chris Grayling, the newly-appointed Transport Secretary, is due to clarify the Government’s HS2 blueprint for the North later this year amid calls for a high-speed railway across the Pennines to be speeded up. Last night, a Department for Transport spokesman said: “The project is on time and on budget. We are keeping a tough grip on costs.

Improving reional infrastructure is vital in supporting regional growth and building an economy that works for everyone. HS2 is a key part of this, and will be the backbone of our national rail network.”

However Ms Flint told The Yorkshire Post: “I expect the Government to study this report and answer the questions we raise. There are too many blanks that need to be filled in.

“I support HS2. I support regeneration and the revival our railway system, but not enough thought has been given to the route changes and their impact on local communities.”

She added it was vital that HS2 was part of a wider transport package that made it easier for people to commute to work.

Committee chairman Meg Hillier said: “The Government has promised significant benefits to taxpayers in return for their investment in HS2, expected to run to more than £55bn.

“Despite this, Parliament and the public are still in the dark about crucial details - not least when the railway will open, how much it is expected to cost and precisely where it will go.

“Government must explain its intentions and the basis for its decisions in a transparent manner. The public must be confident the grand vision for HS2 does not blind the Government to the finer points which have implications for many people’s lives now – and in the decades to come.”