Review to be published into government’s £32bn HS2 plan

From BBC News.

An independent review of the £32bn HS2 London to Birmingham high-speed rail project is to published.

The House of Commons transport committee announced it had asked a consultancy firm to look into the business case for the scheme.

The review will be published on Tuesday, when the committee holds the first of five evidence sessions on HS2.

The first phase of HS2, from London to Birmingham, is due to be open in 2026, with extensions further north later.

A Y-shaped section taking branches to Manchester, Leeds and possibly further north could be finished by 2033.

The chairman of the committee, Labour MP Louise Ellman, said: “The review is a guide for us. We felt we needed it. This is a project of great importance and also of great controversy.”

HS2 is a central facet of the coalition government’s transport policy and was touted as an alternative to the third runway at Heathrow when the government scrapped it following last year’s election.

The review looked at the overall business case rather than the details of the route, which passes through several beauty spots as well as a large swathe of suburbs in north-west London.

A total of 190 organisations have submitted evidence to the committee but Transport Secretary Philip Hammond is not expected to answer questions until 13 September.