27 January 2023 , 12:06
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HS2 WILL go all the way to Euston, the Chancellor has said - amid confusion over whether parts of the project had been scrapped.
Jeremy Hunt has said he does not see any "conceivable circumstance" in which HS2 would not end in central London as originally planned.
It comes after reports emerged overnight claiming that the controversial line might not go actually go into the heart of the capital.
The reports - which the government did not initially deny - sparked anger, with Camden Council saying HS2 had left a "deep scar" on communities.
Mr Hunt told the BBC: “I don't see any conceivable circumstance in which that would not end up at Euston and indeed, I prioritised HS2 in the autumn statement.
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"We have not got a good record in this country of delivering complex, expensive infrastructure quickly.
"But I'm incredibly proud that for the first time in this last decade, under a Conservative government, we have shovels in the ground. We are building HS2 and we're gonna make it happen.”
Jeremy Hunt dismissed reports that HS2 would not go to central London (hmtreasury/Twitter)It comes after the Tory Government last night refused to deny reports that the multi-billion flagship HS2 project linking the North and the Midlands to the capital may never actually reach central London anymore.
The shambolic project has been blighted by soaring inflation and rising construction costs and bosses are said to be considering scaling it back.
It was reported the central Euston terminus could be delayed to 2038 or scrapped altogether, meaning one of the key promises of the flagship scheme may never be met.
Its construction caused major upheaval across England, knocking down homes, schools and businesses and removing green spaces.
The HS2 construction site at Euston Station in London pictured in August 2019 (PA)Work has already begun at Birmingham's Curzon Street station in the city centre - but it is reported a two to five-year delay to the entire project is now being considered.
The new plans discuss high-speed trains running from the suburb of Old Oak Common in West London rather than Euston to save money.
This would mean that commuters will have to actually use the new Elizabeth line to complete their journeys into central London.
And it has sparked fears that Birmingham to Crewe and Manchester's legs of the plan will also be scrapped entirely.
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One ex-HS2 employee told The Sun : “There are a number of options for getting the costs down and none of them is very nice.
“Either you scrap Euston, or you have to slow down the whole project and hope inflation comes down.”
Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “It is utter absurd that the Chancellor has been forced to deny that HS2 may not even reach London.
“A lost decade of dismal Conservative failure has left the country with second-rate infrastructure, and rail services in crisis, holding the economy back and disrupting passengers.
“Labour will call time on this decade of Tory decline, and deliver the infrastructure fit for the century ahead, unlocking growth, jobs and investment.”
Councillor Georgia Gould, Leader of Camden Council, said: “These reports represent more unacceptable uncertainty to a project which has already knocked down 200 homes in Camden and razed sections of our borough to the ground.
“HS2 construction has left a deep scar in our communities - our residents have had their homes knocked down, their school and businesses’ have been demolished and their green space has been removed.
“Our residents will fear that they will have to endure years of disruption for absolutely no benefit at the end of it. They must see the new homes, green spaces and opportunities they were promised - HS2 must not walk away and abandon our communities.”
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