Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed that the next phase of the HS2 rail project will be scrapped in a speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.
The decision means that the infrastructure project will now stop at Birmingham, instead of completing the planned extension to Manchester.
The HS2 project was designed to bring high-speed rail connectivity to the north and support the Government’s Levelling Up plans to regenerate economic prosperity across the North.
What did HS2 actually mean for Cumbria?
Enhancing infrastructure and connectivity in the region was an important factor in the future of Cumbria’s business and industrial sectors.
Mr Sunak’s conference speech suggested the £36 billion of HS2 funding would now be redistributed across the country, saying: “The Government will reinvest every single penny.
“Every region outside of London will receive the same or more government investment than they would have done under HS2, with quicker results.”
For a scheme that was ultimately supposed to benefit our region by providing improved links between London, the Midlands and the North, there is little detail yet as to how the new plans will support Cumbria, or how they will deliver on the Government’s pledge to level-up areas of the county.
But what does the announcement mean for Cumbria?
There were mixed views from the county’s business and political leaders.
Mark Jenkinson, MP for Workington said: “My constituency will be the beneficiary of upgrades to the Energy Coast Line that runs from Barrow right up through Workington to Carlisle.
“This is nothing short of a revolution in transport infrastructure that will see billions of pounds redirected from spiralling HS2 costs to build the daily connections that people rely on.
“A bid has already been submitted to Department of Transport to fund overdue improvements and this shows that the business case has been well-received.”
Cllr Denise Rollo, Cumberland Council’s executive member for sustainable, resilient and connected places said: “This is a huge missed opportunity, not just for Cumbria, but for the entire country.
“Making sure Cumbria was featured on the high-speed rail map was important to our region’s future growth and investment so the decision to withdraw the northern leg of HS2 without a clear alternative plan is disappointing.
“The pledge to ‘reinvest every penny saved’ in roads, rail and buses in the North is of course welcome and we were pleased to see a commitment to improving the Cumbrian Coast Line along with cash for pothole repairs and resurfacing schemes as part of this.
“As a council we are now eager to work with the government to gain a full understanding of how the proposals outlined in the Prime Minister’s speech, could impact on us here in Cumberland.”
Jo Lappin, chief executive of Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The anticipated decision has been made and our focus now needs to be on ensuring that Cumbria’s transport priorities receive some of the funding that Government is looking to reallocate to other transport priorities.
“Therefore, the announcement on the Energy Coast Rail Upgrade is very welcome as the LEP has invested in the development of the business case for this.
“Many of our businesses would welcome further investment in our existing road and rail infrastructure including the Lakes line and improving the A66, A595 and A590.
“We will be working with our partners to gain consensus on the further ‘asks’ for Cumbria.”
Suzanne Caldwell, managing director of Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, said: “We had been working more recently with other northern chambers to lobby for the Manchester station to be built as one that could be passed through, enabling future extension of the network, rather than the terminal station being planned.
“What pulling the line to Manchester does is remove any prospect for the foreseeable of a high-speed line for Cumbria.
“However, when the trains are running well, and strikes aside there has certainly been a marked improvement, the West Coast Mainline service between Cumbria and central London is a good one.
“The same can’t be said for much of the North in trying to move around and across the North by train. So, if the savings from HS2 are to be used to improve that then that should be good for Cumbria.
“We understand there’s now a pledge to use some of the HS2 money to invest in the Cumbrian coast railway line alongside other transport upgrades including roads.
“That’s certainly a line that’s been crying out for investment for years so we must welcome that.”
Tim Farron, Westmorland and Lonsdale’s Liberal Democrat MP, said: “This is yet another broken promise from a Conservative government who simply cannot be trusted to keep their word.
“And Rishi Sunak now claims he is going to spend billions on transport projects across the North – pull the other one!
“The truth is that the Conservative Party don’t care about the North and are happy to take us for fools.
“We need a General Election so people here in the North can show the Conservatives what they think of politicians who break their promises and take us for granted.”
Lord McLoughlin, Chair of Transport for the North, said: “The cancelling of the northern leg of HS2 is naturally disappointing. It’s undeniable that this will be seen by many as a missed opportunity for the region, and the country as a whole.
“Only last week, northern business and political leaders came together at our TfN Board to speak with ‘one voice’ to reaffirm our position that HS2 and NPR in full are vital to truly transform the North.
“The announcement of investment in the region is obviously welcome. And we will look to work with government to fully understand the implications for the North of the proposals set out today in the Prime Minister’s speech, and consult with our Board on the best way forward in light of this new change of policy.
“There are still quite a few areas that require further clarification from the Department for Transport, which we will be seeking from them.”
