HS2: What is it, how much has it cost and how have the plans changed?
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, is reportedly considering axing plans for the HS2 high-speed rail link to run from Birmingham to Manchester amid soaring costs. Critics of such a move include former prime ministers Boris Johnson and David Cameron, some business leaders and the Labour mayors of Greater Manchester and London, Andy Burnham and Sadiq Khan. But Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has suggested the scheme is “out of control” and former transport secretary Grant Shapps said the Government could not write an “open-ended cheque” if costs continue to rise. A decision on the fate of the project’s Manchester leg is expected in the coming days. Subscribe to the Evening Standard: https://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-Evening-Standard for latest breaking news from the UK, US and around the world, plus podcasts and features. Evening Standard on socials: Check out our full video catalog: https://www.youtube.com/c/LondonEveningStandard/videos Videos, daily editorial and more: https://www.standard.co.uk/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.fb.com/eveningstandard Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/eveningstandard and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evening.standard
