Government ‘does not understand how HS2 will function as railway’

Parliament’s spending watchdog says cancellation of high-speed line’s northern leg raises ‘urgent questions’

The cancellation of the northern leg of HS2 has raised “urgent unanswered questions” and the government does not yet understand how the £67bn high-speed railway will now function, according to a scathing report from parliament’s spending watchdog.

The remaining London-Birmingham line will be “very poor value for money”, the public accounts committee of MPs said, with costs now forecast to significantly outweigh the benefits.