Boris Johnson has been urged to get his act together over HS2 and improve transport links to and from the East Midlands – despite concerns the cost could escalate to more than £100 billion.
The bosses of Midlands Connect and the East Midlands Chamber have both told the PM to get on with it after the Financial Times published leaks from the inquiry into the viability of the high speed link.
It claimed the line will end up costing £106 billion, almost double the £56 billion it was allocated in 2015, while the leak from the Oakervee review recommends work on phase 2b of HS2, between Birmingham and Leeds, should be paused for six months to see if it could be a mix of conventional and high-speed lines.
Midlands Connect chairman Sir John Peace has written to the Prime Minster asking him to publish the review in full while warning that any delay or downgrade would be a betrayal of the Midlands and the North.
Midlands Connect is the transport arm of the Midlands Engine, which aims to attract investment into the region.
Sir John wrote: “Further leaks and uncertainty are simply unacceptable.
“The time has come to release the review and give the Midlands, our businesses and investors the certainty we need to plan for a bright future.
“To delay and downgrade HS2 north of Birmingham would be a betrayal of the Midlands and the North.
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“We need a modern, fast and reliable railway to link our great towns and cities sustainably.
“The cost is high, but the need is even greater.
“You have said yourself that HS2 is likely to cost over £100 billion.
“That figure is reached simply by adding 2 per cent inflation to the £88 billion that HS2 chairman Allan Cook estimated in the autumn.
“I met with and wrote to Douglas Oakervee several times during his review.
“I made it clear that HS2’s current economic case greatly underestimates the full economic benefits of the project.
“It ignores development plans around new high speed stations across the Midlands and the North.
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“Any further delay or downgrades of the project will send the wrong message to the people of our region, but it will also send the wrong message to foreign investors who see Britain as an opportunity for growth after Brexit.
“We need HS2 more than ever. I would welcome the opportunity to meet you at your earliest convenience and allay any fears you may have about pushing ahead with this vital project.”
Scott Knowles, chief executive at East Midlands Chamber, said: “The full Oakervee Review now needs to be published and HS2 delivered in full, without delay.
“While costs and value for money are important considerations, there is a clear and strong economic case for delivering all phases of HS2.
“For far too long businesses both here in the East Midlands and across the 海角视频 have had to cope with heavily congested Victorian-era railways.
“Businesses count the cost of this in delayed journeys, overcrowded trains, uncertain deliveries and unreliable services.
“The delivery of critical transformational schemes, including Midlands Engine Rail and Northern Powerhouse Rail, also rely on the connections that HS2 will make.
“Reducing the scope of this project would put at risk development plans across the country.
“HS2’s importance goes far beyond train services. Its anticipated completion is already attracting investors and will continue to attract investment to surrounding areas, rejuvenate local economies and create opportunities for businesses across the supply chain; with many firms in the East Midlands telling us they are primed and ready to take advantage of such opportunities.
“There can be no more tinkering around the edges of our rail network. It is clear that bringing HS2 to fruition in its entirety is crucial to giving our region – and indeed the country – the connectivity it both needs and deserves.”