David Higgins says he hopes to bring forward completion of high-speed rail line but needs bipartisan backing
The new chairman of the high-speed rail line from London to Birmingham has said cross-party support is crucial after Labour questioned the value of the project.
David Higgins, the current Network Rail chief executive and former head of the UK's Olympic Delivery Authority, will take over the role in January, amid criticism from some business groups that the £50bn project does not represent value for money. The HS2 line was unveiled under the last Labour government but on Monday the shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, questioned "whether it is the best way to spend £50bn for the future of our country".
The first stage, from London to Birmingham, is due to be finished by 2026, with the second stage, including the extension to Manchester and Leeds, due to be completed by 2032. Higgins said he did not understand why it would take so long and revealed he had hopes of reducing the timescale and therefore the cost. But he said his first priority was to get cross-party support, which proved "absolutely crucial" for the London Olympics.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The first thing I said to [the chancellor] George Osborne, was: 'There's only one thing I really need on this project, it has to be bipartisan' … The key thing is setting out the alternatives. While we do have the safest railway in Europe, we have the oldest railway in Europe … It [HS2] is essential for growth."
Balls's criticism of the government's handing of the project came after Alistair Darling, chancellor in the last government, withdrew his support. Higgins expressed confidence that the public and political opponents could be won over, noting that for all the success of the London Olympics "there wasn't a single bit of positive media coverage [in 2006] … It took about two years for the first green shoots to emerge".
He said HS2 was about increasing capacity in the south and increasing connectivity in the north and that transport was central to regeneration.
"Not doing this and expecting the northern cities to be more connected and therefore have greater economic growth is unrealistic," he said.
On the prospect of speeding up the project and bringing the costs down, Higgins said: "We have some of the world's best designers and best contractors, we should challenge them to plan properly and then challenge them to do it quicker."
He revealed that he will have an early opportunity to discuss HS2 with Balls as he is due to meet the shadow chancellor to discuss the railways over the next couple of weeks. Reported by guardian.co.uk 8 hours ago.
The new chairman of the high-speed rail line from London to Birmingham has said cross-party support is crucial after Labour questioned the value of the project.
David Higgins, the current Network Rail chief executive and former head of the UK's Olympic Delivery Authority, will take over the role in January, amid criticism from some business groups that the £50bn project does not represent value for money. The HS2 line was unveiled under the last Labour government but on Monday the shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, questioned "whether it is the best way to spend £50bn for the future of our country".
The first stage, from London to Birmingham, is due to be finished by 2026, with the second stage, including the extension to Manchester and Leeds, due to be completed by 2032. Higgins said he did not understand why it would take so long and revealed he had hopes of reducing the timescale and therefore the cost. But he said his first priority was to get cross-party support, which proved "absolutely crucial" for the London Olympics.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The first thing I said to [the chancellor] George Osborne, was: 'There's only one thing I really need on this project, it has to be bipartisan' … The key thing is setting out the alternatives. While we do have the safest railway in Europe, we have the oldest railway in Europe … It [HS2] is essential for growth."
Balls's criticism of the government's handing of the project came after Alistair Darling, chancellor in the last government, withdrew his support. Higgins expressed confidence that the public and political opponents could be won over, noting that for all the success of the London Olympics "there wasn't a single bit of positive media coverage [in 2006] … It took about two years for the first green shoots to emerge".
He said HS2 was about increasing capacity in the south and increasing connectivity in the north and that transport was central to regeneration.
"Not doing this and expecting the northern cities to be more connected and therefore have greater economic growth is unrealistic," he said.
On the prospect of speeding up the project and bringing the costs down, Higgins said: "We have some of the world's best designers and best contractors, we should challenge them to plan properly and then challenge them to do it quicker."
He revealed that he will have an early opportunity to discuss HS2 with Balls as he is due to meet the shadow chancellor to discuss the railways over the next couple of weeks. Reported by guardian.co.uk 8 hours ago.