Can HS2 be delivered within the £56 billion budget?
Is it right that HS2 is being prioritised over improvements to
rail services in the north of England? Could the £56 billion be
better spent elsewhere?
These are among the questions the House of Lords
Economic Affairs Committee will be asking a panel of witnesses
this afternoon.
The witnesses will be giving evidence to a follow-up
session on the Committee’s inquiry, The Economics of
High Speed 2, which published its report in March
2015.
The session will begin at 3.35pm. Giving evidence
will be:
-
Bridget Rosewell CBE, Founder, Volterra and
Commissioner, National Infrastructure Commission
-
Chris Stokes, Independent Rail Consultant and
former network director at the Strategic Rail
Authority.
Questions the Committee is likely to ask
include:
-
How surprising is Sir Terry Morgan’s admission to
the Committee last month that “nobody knows” what the
final cost of HS2 will be?
-
Is the recent reduction in the growth in demand for
long-distance rail travel a concern for the business case for
HS2?
-
Will the main beneficiaries of overcrowding relief
be London commuters?
-
Will the speed be lowered and the number of trains
an hour reduced to ensure the project is finished in time and
on budget?
-
Do you agree with Sir Terry Morgan that HS2 should
terminate initially at Old Oak Common, allowing for more time
to redevelop Euston?
This evidence session, which is open to
the public, will start at 3.35pm on Tuesday 19 February 2019 in
Committee Room 1 of the House of
Lords.
