HS2: EUSTON STATION UPGRADE 'WILL COST AN EXTRA £2.2 BILLION' AS GOVERNMENT SLAMMED

Euston Station's HS2 upgrade does not deliver value for money and will cost £4.8 billion, according to a new report. The official report by the National Audit Office (NAO) released today (March 27) has concluded that Euston's station upgrade in preparation for the arrival of the future 225mph High Speed Two (HS2) railway line will cost £2.2 billion more than expected.

A UK independent government spending watchdog is now calling on the Department for Transport (DfT) to use its announced two-year delay to develop a revised design which it says can be 'affordable'. The present plans will see the existing terminal progressively re-constructed with ten dedicated platforms for the new high-speed service to the Midlands and the North from the mid-2030s.

HS2's arrival in Euston has been particularly controversial. Initially planned to see the first trains at the end of this decade, Old Oak Common is now set to be the line's London terminus until the following decade, forcing TfL to beg for more Elizabeth line trains and leaving locals worried they'll face years more disruption.

READ MORE: Southeastern pays out over £1million delay compensation in just four weeks following controversial timetable change

Trees have already been felled outside Euston station despite no trains expected to run there for another 10-15 years, and extensive roadworks and excavation spoilage removal plans have seen TfL's commissioner Andy Lord write to the transport secretary to ask for a better solution.

Gareth Davies, Head of the National Audit Office, said: “Government is once again having to revise plans for Euston HS2. Clearly, the 2020 reset of the station design has not succeeded. DfT and HS2 Ltd have not been able to develop an affordable scope that is integrated with other activity at Euston, despite their focus on costs and governance since 2020. Recent high inflation has added to the challenge.

“The March 2023 announcement by the Transport Secretary pausing new construction work should now give DfT and HS2 Ltd the necessary time to put the HS2 Euston project on a more realistic and stable footing. However, the deferral of spending to manage inflationary pressures will lead to additional costs and potentially a more expensive project overall, and that will need to be managed closely.”

A DfT spokesperson said: “We remain committed to delivering HS2 from Euston to Manchester in a way that delivers the best value for money to the taxpayer. That’s why we recently announced we will rephase the Euston section of the project to manage inflationary pressures and work on an affordable design for the station. We will carefully consider the recommendations set out by the National Audit Office and will formally respond in due course.”

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