MediaResponding to the Northern phase of HS2 been scrapped by the Prime Minister, Sam Richards, founder and campaign director of pro-growth campaign Group Britain Remade, said:
“Britain needs to get better at delivering major infrastructure projects. It is not inevitable that the cost of a new train line in Britain is 10 times more than one in France.
“Government must address the reasons that the costs of HS2 ballooned to the point that it became one of the most expensive rail projects in the world. The over-consulting, the over-designing, and the constant planning delays that push up costs must be tackled head on.
“Without a practical plan to bring down infrastructure costs, the North won’t see the benefits from the hundreds of rail, road, and tram projects the PM has promised.
“To make ‘Network North’ more than a slogan, the Transport Secretary must urgently give schemes that are shovel ready, such as the long-delayed dualling of the A1, the go-ahead - something he could do with a stroke of a pen tomorrow.”