Cost of HS2 now “simply unjustifiable”, says IEA expert

16 Apr 2020 09:57 AM

Dr Richard Wellings, Head of Transport at the Institute of Economic Affairs, responded to the news that HS2 has been given the green light to enter the construction phase 

“The economic case for HS2 was always weak. With the country in the midst of a Covid-19 induced economic downturn, the cost of this rail project – predicted to reach a mammoth £106 billion – is simply unjustifiable.

“At a time of crisis, the government should not be spending taxpayers’ money on deeply unpopular vanity projects that offer very limited value for money.”

Notes to editors

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For more IEA reading on HS2, click here and here.

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