- Written by Michael Race & Katie Austin
- Business correspondent and transport correspondent
The HS2 rail line will not be extended to London Euston unless sufficient private investment is secured for the project.
Without private funding, the high-speed line would only run from Birmingham to Old Oak Common on the capital’s western outskirts.
This means passengers traveling to central London will need to change.
The government said it was “aware of the plans” for Euston, adding that the “gold-plated” station had two “unaffordable designs”.
The number of planned high-speed rail platforms has already been reduced from 11 to 6.
The BBC has been told that the Euston project will rely on private investment, with the government saying it will incorporate “best practice lessons” from other schemes such as Battersea Power Station and the redevelopment of King’s Cross station.
Old Oak Common will be the UK’s biggest new rail station when it opens, but government modeling suggests two-thirds of people want to travel to and from Euston, leaving many with fewer outbound options. There are concerns that there is a shortage.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said it wanted Euston station to be “open and running trains as soon as possible” and said its “reconsidered approach” would save £6.5 billion.
“There is already support and interest from the private sector,” a spokesperson said, adding that ministers had been consulting with key partners since the announcement.
“It would be completely wrong to downplay the scale and benefits of this regeneration,” the spokesperson said.
DfT officials said the funding would be “backed by contributions from people and businesses who support development” and leverage “private sector investment” to “deliver the highest possible value for UK taxpayers”. Then he said.
But critics have attacked the change in stance, with William Barter, a rail consultant whose recent clients include governments, calling the new plans “completely ambitious”.
As part of the now scaled-back proposals, a planned pedestrian tunnel linking Euston station to nearby Euston Square tube station has also been scrapped.
image source, grimshaw architects
Plans for HS2 Euston station previously included a bronze or gold colored roof
Extending HS2 to Euston would require digging a 7.5-mile tunnel from Old Oak Common and building a new station at Euston next to the existing West Coast Main Line terminus.
Work had already begun on Euston but was halted in March after costs rose to £4.8bn, compared to the original budget of £2.6bn.
As part of new plans for the station, the government is considering creating a “reformed ‘Euston Quarter’ with the potential to provide up to 10,000 homes”, according to a document published by the DfT. That’s what it means.
Georgia Gould, leader of Camden City Council, where the station is being built, said: “The worst-case scenario of the station being abandoned in its current state has been avoided,” adding: “The worst-case scenario of the station being abandoned in its current state has been avoided.” He warned me not to break my promise. .
Mr Sunak said on Wednesday that a new development company separate from HS2 Ltd would manage the delivery of the Euston project, adding: “There should be some accountability for the mistakes made and the mismanagement of this project.” .
