Stafford HS2 connection at risk due to cost cuts

A connection between the £55.7 billion HS2 line and the West Coast Main Line near Rugeley is thought to be at risk as part of a report being led by Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood.

Axing the junction, known as the Handsacre link, would mean Staffordshire would lose what is deemed as the only benefit to the county from the huge rail scheme.

The link would allow hybrid trains to travel from Stafford and Stoke on to the high-speed network, reducing the travel time from the county town to London to under an hour.

Today civic leaders, who oppose HS2 generally, called for the link to be retained.

Stafford MP Jeremy Lefroy said: "This junction is essential if Stafford, in my constituency, and Stoke-on-Trent, the major centres of economic activity in North and Mid Staffordshire, are to benefit from the connectivity of HS2 as was envisaged in the initial proposal of HS2. Without the junction at Handsacre neither Stoke-on-Trent nor Stafford will have direct connectivity with HS2.

"In the case of Stafford, it will mean either travelling nearly 20 miles north to Crewe before retracing the journey on HS2, or a slow journey through Penkridge, Wolverhampton and Birmingham to Birmingham International where there is an interchange with HS2.

"Without the Handacre link, the economies of North and Mid Staffordshire will be adversely affected as our rail services will deteriorate compared with those we have at present."

Stafford Borough Council's Conservative leader Patrick Farrington said: "We will continue, if needed, to make strong representations of how essential the link is to the HS2 proposal and to the economic development of the Stafford Borough area. And last year we received written reassurances from the government relating to the development of the Handsacre link."

Transport Secretary and ex-Cannock miner Patrick McLoughlin has previously given backing to the link.

But officials and ministers are increasingly concerned that the budget could still be exceeded, even though links to the Channel Tunnel rail link (HS1) and Heathrow airport have previously been removed to cut costs.

In a reference to the possible axing of the Handsacre Link, a senior rail source said: "There are things that can be cut, like engineering work north of Birmingham that becomes redundant when a link to Crewe is built in 2027. Heywood was concerned about the budget estimates and if they can cut any costs it will give them confidence of being within those estimates."

A government spokeswoman said: "As is normal for large projects, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority is conducting assurance of the HS2 programme as it proceeds into its delivery phase. It is standard practice for this to include a small cross government team."