HS2 route from Birmingham to Crewe to open six years early
The high speed rail link connecting Crewe to Birmingham will open six years ahead of schedule in 2027.
It follows the cost of High Speed 2 rising to more than £55bn, announced in the Autumn Statement last week.
Two years ago the project was costed at £50.1bn.
Meanwhile, the former director general of the Confederation of British Industry, John Cridland has been appointed chair of Transport for the North (TfN).
TfN will support transport connectivity across the North of England.
Transport for North Chair John Cridland said: "There is much to do to improve transport capacity and links across the North , and we now have the opportunity to make this happen. I look forward to working with City leaders, ministers and all stakeholders across the North of England."
The transport budget was slashed by 37 per cent last week in the Chancellor's spending review, although there will be a 50 per cent increase of investment in transport infrastructure.
The additional cash will be spent on the electrification of the TransPennine, Midland and Great Western lines, almost £5bn for road maintenance and £250m to fix potholes.
The high costs of the HS2 rail line have been blamed on lack of high speed infrastructure in the UK.
HS2 spokesperson Ben Ruse said: “Europe has had high speed rail for decades and the continental network now measures over 7,000km. In the UK, we have had around 100km of high speed rail for less than 10 years.”