MPs call for HS2 route to be "put out of its misery"

Ed Miliband, John Healey and Sir Kevin Barron branded the proposed rail link through Aston, Bramley and Mexborough “an appalling story of bad decision-making, half-baked compromises and broken promises”.

The MPs’ call for the route to be scrapped in favour of a return to the original plan for a line through Meadowhall came weeks after Rotherham Council leader Chris Read restated the local authority’s opposition to HS2’s chosen path.

In a joint submission to the review being led by ex-HS2 chair Douglas Oakervee, they highlighted soaring costs, concerns over the capacity of Sheffield city station to handle more services and ongoing anger over the disruption and demolition in line for Bramley and Mexborough.

“The HS2 M18 route is an appalling story of bad decision-making, half-baked compromises and broken promises which satisfy nobody,” said the MPs.

“We urge you to put it out of its misery in favour of a better, integrated plan which can help our communities.”

In opting for a spur line into the existing Sheffield station, HS2 backtracked on plans for a dedicated high-speed halt in the Victoria area of the city.

“The M18 route, despite hailed as a cheaper option, instead has proven to be anything but,” said the three MPs.

“It has left South Yorkshire with no high speed station, fewer trains, longer journey times and poorer connectivity.

“Its impact on our constituents has been heavy indeed, including running straight through a new housing estate in Mexborough and carving out part of an estate in Bramley, and yet our constituents are not able to share in the benefits that we were promised HS2 would bring.”

The MPs said the Meadowhall option was “far superior” and the financial case made for switching away from it was “flawed”.

They concluded: “HS2 was intended to be a national infrastructure project that would not just connect London to the North or city to city but one that all communities would benefit from, particularly our towns. 

“Instead, we have a project with costs spiralling out of control, no proper integrated approach in route planning and delivery and heavy impacts on local communities who have all of the pain and none of the gain.

“Please think again on behalf of our country, our region and our communities.”

Mr Oakervee is due to publish his report by the end of the year.

Launched in August by transport minister Grant Shapps, the review is expected to look at the benefits, impacts, affordability, efficiency, 

deliverability and scope of the multi-billion-pound transport project and could recommend it be scrapped.

Last week, six regional chairs of business umbrella group the CBI called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to back HS2, bemoaning the current “dither and delay” and saying the scheme was “more than just a railway line — it’s a key that unlocks future jobs, training and regeneration opportunities that will benefit us all.”

CBI chief UK policy director Matthew Fell said: “The unequivocal message from CBI regional councils spanning all parts of the proposed route is back it, build it, benefit from it.”