COMMENT: RIA’s Darren Caplan reacts to PAC’s report on HS2

The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee published a report today on the value for money of HS2, following last October’s cancellation of the Northern Leg.

In response, Railway Industry Association Chief Executive Darren Caplan said: “Today’s report by the Public Accounts Committee raises many questions which remain unanswered, not least of which is how HS2 going to operate as railway. Ministers urgently need to make decisions on this point and others to ensure both sunk and future investment deliver value for money for taxpayers and the railway.

“It remains RIA’s view that the full benefits of HS2 can only be realised by building the full HS2. However, going forward RIA and our members are committed to working with the Government on the trajectory of future rail investment and how this meets long-term demand for rail capacity across the UK network. It is imperative that options are kept open as the scope of work on this is developed.”