Labour could change its plans for HS2 ahead of the General Election, despite previously promising to build it “in full”.
Mr Harper announced in March that the Birmingham to Crewe stretch of HS2 would be delayed by two years to spread out spending after inflation caused costs to rise significantly.
The National Audit Office warned the move “could lead to an overall increase in spend in the long term”, adding: “This is due to the costs of, for example, its supply chain stopping and re-starting work; contractual changes; and managing the site and project for longer.” Mr Harper also said the Government was pausing construction work on a new HS2 station in Euston for two years, so it could save money and come up with new designs.
Trains are now not expected to run into the station in central London until 2041 at the earliest after initially being scheduled for 2026, and the cost is predicted to balloon from £2.6 bn to £4.8bn.
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