HS2 will reach Euston, transport secretary signals

Transport secretary Louise Haigh has given the strongest signal yet that HS2 will reach London’s Euston station, ahead of an announcement she said would be coming soon.

The Cabinet minister said an announcement on the project could occur during the Budget on Wednesday, 30 October.

Speaking to Times Radio this morning, Haigh said: “We’ve said before that Euston was always planned to be part of the picture for HS2. We’re hoping to make an announcement on that soon.”

Asked by the broadcaster if it was affordable for HS2 to reach Euston, Haigh – the Labour MP for Sheffield Heeley – replied: “We will be making an announcement on that soon.”

“But it certainly would never have made sense to leave it between Old Oak Common and Birmingham.”

Pressed on whether the announcement may come in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ first Budget at the end of the month, she said: “It may be made around those decisions.”

In October last year, then-prime minister Rishi Sunak announced that extending HS2 from Old Oak Common, in the suburbs of west London, to Euston, near the centre of the capital, was reliant on private investment, aimed at saving £6.5bn of taxpayers’ money.

Major HS2 construction work at a site alongside the existing station has been halted since March due to doubts about funding.

The Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) issued a report in February stating it was “highly sceptical” that the Department for Transport (DfT) would be able to attract private investment on “the scale and speed required” to make extending HS2 to Euston a success.

However, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said last week it was “looking increasingly positive” the railway line would not terminate at Old Oak Common.

Rail unions welcomed Haigh’s comments on Tuesday. TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: “This is undoubetdly the right move from the government and one we welcome as a crucial win for North-South connectivity.”

“Failure to complete this section would have seriously reduced capacity and undermined its long-term value. With Euston at the heart of HS2, we can look forward to a more connected and accessible United Kingdom.” 

The Transport secretary also stressed that the decision to turn off the huge advertising boards at Euston had proved popular – after rail chiefs faced criticism over the state of the major rail terminal.

“I asked Network Rail to make those changes because the passenger experience was clearly not good enough there and they made the decision to temporarily turn off the advertising boards which has been very popular with customers,” she said.

It comes amid widespread coverage of crowding as passengers at Euston rush down ramps to board trains – with Sadiq Khan describing it as a “mess” with “concerns of danger”.

While the High Speed Rail Group, a consortium of rail and engineering firms – including Hitachi, Alstom, Siemens and Avanti West Coast – have told ministers building HS2 all the way from London Euston to Crewe could save money by enabling the line to be leased out.

The full route could be worth up to £20bn, but would be a fraction of that value if running from Old Oak Common to Birmingham, their analysis found.

John Dickie, chief executive of the lobby group BusinessLDN, said: “It’s good news that the Transport Secretary has given the green light for HS2 to reach Euston.

“The next step is to establish a development vehicle to drive growth and ensure that the surrounding area is redeveloped in a way that works for local communities, commuters and the country as a whole.”

Karim Fatehi MBE, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), said: “Whilst we understood the fiscal constraints, the decision to not extend HS2 to Euston was met with worry by many in the business community as it would have significantly impacted London’s economy and that of the rest of the country.

“With the line reaching the heart of the capital, the full potential of HS2 can now be fully realised, turbo-charging central connections between the UK’s two biggest cities, London and Birmingham.”