Northern leg of HS2 to Manchester set to be scrapped as Rishi Sunak battles to save cash
RISHI Sunak is expected to scrap the Manchester leg of HS2 within days.
The PM is poised to drastically scale back the flagship rail line to rein in eye-watering costs.
No10 today insisted no “final decisions” have been made amid fevered speculation on an imminent announcement .
A spokesman for Jeremy Hunt repeatedly refused to deny the Birmingham to Manchester section was being axed.
Mr Sunak is currently in Manchester for Conservative Party Conference – where HS2’s future is on the table.
In recent weeks Ministers have failed to dismiss reports the high-speed rail line is being curbed.
Mr Hunt today suggested he would be looking into why HS2 had faced so many issues and why the project had become so expensive.
The Chancellor told broadcasters: “What we know is for this country to succeed, we need prosperity to reach every corner of the country. We need the right infrastructure, including roads and railways.
“We’ll announce the decision on HS2 when it’s been formally made. But as Chancellor, I do have to answer the question as to why it costs 10 times more to build a railway in this country than just across the Channel in France.”
This week Mr Sunak insisted getting value for money was his main concern, while helping peop le get about by car was more important.
He said: “The journeys people use most often, all your listeners probably right now, the majority of them in their cars trying to get to work, take kids to school and all the rest.
“Making sure that for our roads, the potholes are maintained well, making sure that our bus services are running well, that’s all important.”