Scrapping HS2 'will lead to higher fares and congestion for decades'

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxReceive our free View from Westminster emailPlease enter an email address valid emailPlease enter a valid email addressI would like to receive an email about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice{{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later.{{ /verifyErrors }}

Rishi Sunak's decision to scrap HS2 north of Birmingham will lead to "higher fares and congestion for decades", it has been claimed.

Plans to make up for lost capacity from the railway cancellation, which were first revealed by The Independent, are years away and passengers should be priced off the railway to reduce congestion.

The Prime Minister used his speech at the Conservative conference in October to confirm reports from The Independent that the northern section of The high-speed rail line would be abandoned, sparking fury from regional and business leaders.

Experts now say the decision to cancel the second phase of the project will have knock-on effects for the rest of the century.

Andrew McNaughton, former technical director of HS2, said Mr Sunak had created a “growth reduction agenda” by removing the route.

Rishi Sunak used his conference speech to confirm the removal of the northern part of HS2