HS2 costs to come under spotlight

A HOUSE of Lords Committee is set to question HS2 chairman David Higgins over the cost of HS2.

At an evidence session tomorrow (Tuesday) the Economic Affairs Committee will be asking him to explain why HS2 is predicted to cost around ten times more for each kilometre than the French high speed network, and how Sir David will ensure that the cost of the project does not exceed the £50 billion of funding which is available.

The questions will also cover whether the estimated benefits of HS2 set out in the economic case are reliable, why Sir David believes that cutting the journey time of London to Manchester will be ‘transformative’ for Manchester and what capacity problems exist now on the West Coast Main Line.

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