HS2 loses tunnel extension court case
HS2 Ltd has lost a case in the Court of Appeal, which has ruled that it extended Bromford tunnel in Birmingham without planning permission.
MPs have cast doubt on the plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail, saying they echo the same failures seen in HS2. The Public Accounts Committee is also doubtful how the full programme can be completed within its price cap of 45 billion pounds.
The National Audit Office has warned that the cost of the ‘reset’ of the remaining section of HS2 will be about 153 million pounds. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander announced last month that the line between London and Birmingham will now cost up to 107 billion pounds, after chief executive Mark Wild had devised a new and detailed plan to complete the project.
Cambridge South station will be officially opened today, after trains began calling yesterday. The project is the university city’s third station, after Cambridge North was opened nine years ago.
Train operators in England and Wales are urging passengers to only travel if they must, as the heatwave continues. Red and amber warnings of extreme heat are still in force, particularly in south east England, and there is also a risk of thunderstorms.
The train from Corby which ran into the back of a stationary train south of Bedford, killing the driver and injuring more than 160 passengers, had passed a red signal a few moments before. The RAIB has issued its first report into the collision on 19 June, also revealing that the Corby train was travelling at almost 50mph.
Warnings of disruption to train services because of very high temperatures have spread to north west England. Journeys will take longer because an amber warning of extreme heat has been issued.