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High Speed 2 Reset
19 May 2026
Lead MP
Heidi Alexander
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
Transport
Other Contributors: 29
At a Glance
Heidi Alexander raised concerns about high speed 2 reset in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
The Minister highlighted the previous Government's mismanagement of HS2, resulting in a £37 billion cost increase and cancellation of phase 2 work. She announced that the expected cost to complete HS2 is now between £87.7 billion and £102.7 billion with an extended timeline from May 2036 to October 2039 for the first services, and completion by December 2043. The Lovegrove report revealed inefficiencies and over-specification of the project. She committed to reducing gold-plating and complexity in design to save £2.5 billion and a year in delivery time.
Question
What are the new project cost figures include? Are they inclusive of all rolling stock under the new plans, Euston funding, and signalling costs? Will the Government set out precise funding and delivery timetables for each element?
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledged the need to detail what is included in the project cost figures and confirmed that she would address these concerns in future updates.
Question
What steps has HS2 Ltd taken to improve claims settlement with those impacted by construction?
Minister reply
The Minister stated that improvements are being made and highlighted the importance of settling claims promptly to support affected communities.
Question
Is it appropriate for services on the west coast to be reduced following Government requests, given the current focus on HS2?
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledged that HS2 does not operate in a vacuum and emphasised the need to balance infrastructure projects with current service requirements.
Jerome Mayhew
Con
Blackpool North and Cleveleys
Question
Asked for clarification on cost reductions, including specifics about rolling stock funding and signalling. Also questioned the impact of service cuts on Avanti West Coast.
Minister reply
Responded that reducing speed to 320 kph aligns with proven technologies, potentially saving £2.5 billion. Confirmed that costs for Euston and signalling are included in new estimates. Stated that no more bat tunnels will be built under HS2 due to legislative changes made by the current Government. Defended service cuts on Avanti West Coast as a way to optimize services during peak periods.
Ruth Cadbury
Lab
Brentford and Isleworth
Question
Asked about measures to ensure future transport projects like the lower Thames crossing and Northern Powerhouse Rail do not suffer similar issues.
Minister reply
Acknowledged past challenges with HS2 but emphasised lessons learned. Noted that for Northern Powerhouse Rail, scope, priorities, sequencing, an overall budget cap, and local contributions are established to ensure efficient delivery.
Olly Glover
Lib Dem
St Albans
Question
The hon. Gentleman thanked the Secretary of State for her candour on HS2's issues and supported her approach focusing on proven technology rather than futuristic innovations. He asked if she is confident that her expert panel has the specific high-speed rail construction and commissioning skills needed to turn the situation around.
Minister reply
The Minister reassured him about the new leadership in place at HS2, including a new financial director and commercial director, as well as six new board appointments. She highlighted several experts on the third line of defence panel, including Kenny Laird, Andrew Paul, Rachel McLean, Colin Brown, Laurent Troger, Miles Ashley, and representatives from the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority.
Connor Naismith
Lab
Crewe and Nantwich
Question
The hon. Gentleman expressed concern about job losses and economic impacts in Crewe due to HS2 cancellation and asked if the Secretary of State would commit to looking more urgently at how they can address capacity constraints between Birmingham and Crewe, and engage with Cheshire East Council.
Minister reply
The Minister agreed that focus should be on delivering more seats and trains running on time. She committed to conducting a feasibility study on connectivity north of Birmingham considering all options for economic growth, housing, rail network capacity, journey times, resilience, design, consent, funding, and dialogue with Cheshire East Council.
Greg Smith
Con
Wycombe
Question
The hon. Gentleman expressed anger about HS2 and highlighted issues such as landowner payments not being made, road damage, unfixed mitigation projects, and noise impacts in Wendover above WHO limits due to trains at 320 kph.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledged the disruption faced by constituents and committed to look into the matter of noise impacts with a lower-speed railway. She stated her instinct is that noise levels would likely be less but will write back if different information emerges.
Dave Robertson
Lab
West Bromwich East
Question
The hon. Gentleman raised concerns about the delay in HS2 works north of Curzon Street, the impact on Lichfield with the closure of A38, and frustration among his constituents regarding noise and disruption over 17 years.
Minister reply
The Minister acknowledged the advocate role played by the hon. Member for his constituents. She confirmed that there is no information suggesting works at Streethay will not be completed on time by October and stressed the importance of connecting to wider rail networks north of Birmingham.
Jeremy Wright
Con
Kenilworth and Southam
Question
The right hon. and learned Member suggested a feasibility study for expanding HS2's network, focusing on improving connections across the country beyond London-Birmingham.
John McDonnell
Lab
Hayes and Harlington
Question
The right hon. Member asked for a meeting to discuss opportunities to assist Hillingdon Outdoor Activities Centre, which lost access to its lake due to HS2.
Minister reply
The Minister agreed to arrange a meeting with relevant officers from HS2 to look at options for the charity.
Question
My constituents did not want HS2, and they have been putting up with the disruption of construction for years. Some warned it would be a colossal waste of money; this railway is costing nearly £1 billion per mile. Every pound of cost overrun is a pound not spent on local infrastructure. Given the Department’s failure to hold HS2 Ltd to account, what commitment can you give that we will not have overspend issues in a few years?
Minister reply
We have taken a different approach with informed estimates from work done over five years. I am committed to ensuring scope remains consistent and avoiding chopping and changing like the previous Government did. Although there are local impacts, HS2 is a great engineering feat with new stations at Birmingham Interchange, Old Oak Common, and Euston. It will provide significant rail network improvements.
Question
My Chesterfield constituents once hoped to benefit from HS2 but now feel disappointed as the line only goes to Birmingham instead of Manchester and Leeds. With your commitment to getting a grip on costs, can we reopen discussions about extending the line beyond Birmingham?
Minister reply
We committed to doing a feasibility study on linking Birmingham to Manchester for future rail capacity improvements. While there are constraints north of Birmingham, HS2 will be the spine of the network and unlock capacity elsewhere.
Question
If you decide to scrap HS2 soon due to overspend, I would support it. What assurances can you offer on providing better services to residents, land claims, and road destruction in Beaconsfield, Marlow, and south Bucks villages?
Minister reply
HS2 should engage with communities with care, respect, and rigour; any issues will be addressed. Cancelling the project would cost nearly as much as completing it, leaving unfinished structures across England. I disagree with scrapping the project but am keen to ensure engagement and address local concerns.
Question
HS2 overspend is £1,000 per household in UK; families struggle to pay bills. HS2 was meant to bring benefits to north of England and Scotland—reliable services, passenger capacity, economic growth, reduced emissions by displacing flights. Will you meet me to discuss long-term plan for improving rail services between Scotland, north England, and rest of the UK?
Minister reply
I am open to meeting him to discuss capacity, frequency, and reliability improvements between England and Glasgow. I look forward to discussing this in more detail soon.
Question
Can you explain when HS2 will extend to Scotland as suggested by the Transport Committee Chair? How much more will we in Scotland pay, and how many years after 2043 will it be delivered?
Minister reply
HS2 will not extend north of west midlands. We announced a feasibility study on investing in infrastructure between Birmingham and Manchester after Northern Powerhouse Rail delivery. This work will start this summer.
Question
I welcome the clarity to deliver HS2, which is vital for rail investment driving growth. Will you look at driving growth between towns as well as cities by bringing lines such as Calder Valley line into 21st century?
Minister reply
Our plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail align closely with aspirations for improving connectivity between towns and cities in city regions.
Question
Communities in Balsall Common and Berkswell have taken huge pain since before 2019. I take heart from Mark Wild’s engagement on land issues, including Arden Cross project worth hundreds of millions that might take four years but could be done in two. Will you look at this issue?
Minister reply
I am already looking into the matter and have discussed it with HS2 leadership. Work is underway to release land for development without compromising delivery of HS2.
Question
Residents in Old Oak Common welcome honesty about HS2 but are disappointed by the ever-lengthening timeline. Will you consider opening Elizabeth line station earlier, as new builds like Oaklands Rise were promised a brand-new station by 2026?
Minister reply
We need to ensure adequate public transport for homes and development around Old Oak Common. I will take away her point about the Elizabeth line and come back with more detail.
Question
Many farmers, small businesses and residents have had access to their properties disrupted by the construction of HS2. The Wilcoxes in my constituency have been battling for more than five years to get a simple deed of easement. Will the Secretary of State set out what steps she is taking to ensure that these deeds of easement are entered into without further delay?
Minister reply
I am sorry to hear of the situation and if Sarah Bool wants to write to me about this specific case, I will raise it with the leadership of HS2 for her.
Question
Wales is footing the bill for HS2, a project based entirely in England now costing up to £103 billion. Wales has no Barnett consequentials while Scotland and Northern Ireland do. Will the Secretary of State respect the wishes of people in Wales and be open to talks with the Welsh Government on reclassifying HS2 so that Wales does not pay for it or gets its fair share?
Minister reply
It is not true to say that Wales is getting nothing. At the spending review last year, we announced £445 million in direct funding to modernise and upgrade Welsh rail, with a potential total of up to £14 billion over time. I would be happy to discuss rail enhancements with the new Senedd leadership.
Martin Vickers
Con
Cleethorpes
Question
Having seen a procession of Ministers and officials give reassurances about HS2, will the Secretary of State assure us that spending on HS2 will not affect the announcement she made a few weeks ago to improve other rail services in the north? I also mention the campaign by me and the Father of the House to improve services to northern Lincolnshire.
Minister reply
The hon. Gentleman would expect comprehensive discussions with my colleagues in the Treasury before announcing rail enhancements, which we have done over the past couple of months. Nothing announced today changes what was announced in January on Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Question
Before being elected to this place, I was a member of the independent panel for the community and environment fund and the business and local economy fund for HS2. Communities get grumpy when large-scale infrastructure projects affect them but there is no obvious benefit. What assurance can the Secretary of State give the House that she is looking at what can be learned positively from what has happened with HS2, and in particular at how we can strengthen and make clearer the link between community benefit and large-scale infrastructure projects when the immediate benefit is not obvious to those communities?
Minister reply
One of the failings of HS2 was focusing on speed rather than seats and reliability. Through this reset, we are changing that by ensuring it will be the spine of the Great British Rail network that we deliver as we renationalise the railways.
Question
It is outrageous to hear about the waste with money thrown away by successive Governments. Even now, the level of money required to reset HS2 grates on people up in Yorkshire and the north, where the northern legs were cancelled. We also get comparatively less funding per head for transport than counterparts in the south. Does she agree that the small amount of money to be saved from reducing the scope and speed would be better spent on schemes such as Northern Powerhouse Rail and reinstating the York area capacity scheme?
Minister reply
I have taken the decision to reduce the speed of HS2 to 320 kph, which could save up to £2.5 billion and result in delivery a year earlier. Given how long people have been waiting for this new railway, I think that is the responsible thing to do so that people can get on these trains sooner than they otherwise would.
Question
The truth of the matter is that despite spending over £103 billion of taxpayers’ money, my son has laid more rail track from his Lego set than the previous Government did under the HS2 programme. Whistleblowers have alleged that costs were deliberately hidden from Parliament, documents were shredded and staff who spoke out were sacked. Before another penny is spent by the British taxpayer, how will the Secretary of State ensure that in the future there are accountable binding mechanisms to stop contractors and executives from misleading the House again?
Minister reply
The hon. Member is right to raise important issues. We will always treat any whistleblowing complaints with the utmost seriousness. When it comes to fraud, I reassure him that, as part of the reset, HS2 is strengthening its counter-fraud capability and internal controls and processes.
Tim Farron
Lib Dem
Westmorland and Lonsdale
Question
I thank the Secretary of State for reeling off a list of depressing dates in the far future, leading all but the youngest of us to contemplate our mortality. What is also depressing is the serious lack of investment in rail infrastructure in the north-west north of Manchester; it is an ongoing issue. Will she seek to put that right by being creative with use of the existing main line? For instance, will she work with Network Rail, me and Westmorland and Furness council to advance the cause for reopening stations such as Shap and Tebay?
Minister reply
If Tim Farron would like to write to me about the case for reopening Shap and Tebay, I would gladly consider that. We are investing in rail in the north of England—that was demonstrated by our commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail—but I am happy to look at the specifics of the scheme he suggests.
Question
I thank the Minister for delivering this really important update in the House, rather than at party conference as the previous Tory Prime Minister did. What has really struck me about this statement is that the cost of HS2 is now measured in the hundreds of billions, but what we are spending on active travel is measured in the hundreds of millions. Will she reflect on the differential between how much is being spent on active travel and this project?
Minister reply
I will gently correct the hon. Member. When it comes to HS2, we may be talking about tens of billions, but we are not talking about hundreds of billions. He makes a fair point about the importance of investment in walking and cycling. The Government is backing the third iteration of the cycling and walking strategy with £600 million-worth of investment.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
I thank the Secretary of State for her statement, for her positivity and for trying to make matters better. She talked about maximising international standards and reshaping governance to find efficiencies, yet my constituents in Northern Ireland are facing critical infrastructure deficits of their own. If the fundamental reset is truly about driving economic growth and maximising value across the United Kingdom, will the Secretary of State please, very genuinely, explicitly outline how the billions clawed back from streamlining HS2 will be used to support Union connectivity?
Minister reply
I congratulate Jim Shannon on levering in a question on air passenger duty into a statement on HS2.
Shadow Comment
Jerome Mayhew
Shadow Comment
The Shadow Minister acknowledged challenges faced by HS2 but urged for detailed plans on cost savings and timetable adherence. He proposed changes to environmental legislation to expedite infrastructure projects and asked about the inclusion of rolling stock, Euston funding, signalling costs, and steps taken to improve claims settlement with affected communities.
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