A two-year cost cutting delay to the UK’s high-speed rail link between London and Manchester has been condemned as a “detonation” to levelling up plans.
The attack on the decision announced by transport secretary Mark Harper came from the head of the Business Travel Association.
Harper confirmed that the Birmingham to Crewe leg of HS2 would not begin to operate before 2032 at the earliest.
He blamed soaring prices but said he was “committed” to the line linking London, the Midlands and north of England.
HS2 has long been hit by delays and cost rises. It was originally expected to cost £33 billion but the bill is now projected to be more than £71 billion.
Harper said “significant inflationary pressure” and increased project costs meant the government was to “rephase construction by two years”.
The aim is to deliver high-speed services to Crewe and the north west “as soon as possible after accounting for the delay in construction”.
Outlining the delay Harper said: “The government is prioritising HS2’s initial services between Old Oak Common in London and Birmingham Curzon Street to provide delivery of passenger benefits as soon as possible.
“We remain committed to delivering HS2 services to Euston, and will address affordability pressures to ensure the overall spending profile is manageable.
“We will therefore take the time to ensure we have an affordable and deliverable station design, delivering Euston alongside high-speed infrastructure to Manchester.
“These are the difficult but responsible decisions we are taking, that put the priorities of the British people first, in controlling inflation and reducing government debt.”
However, BTA chief executive Clive Written said: “The delay to the HS2 construction is a sure-fire detonation to the UK’s levelling up agenda.
“Reliable transport networks are not a luxury but a necessity. People outside London are being forced into their cars by inadequate rail infrastructure.
“HS2 was meant to be part of the solution to modernise travel networks. This delay not only puts this in peril but also bears serious consequences for the UK’s economic recovery post-pandemic.”