A station on the planned HS2 route has been scrapped as part of a measure to save up to £1bn.
In a report released today, HS2 chairman David Higgins announced plans for a new route through South Yorkshire, scrapping a proposed station in Meadowhall in favour of a stop in Sheffield city centre.
Officials working on the high speed rail project have been told to trim £1bn from its £56bn budget and the new plan marks a backtrack on previous pledges that the station would slash journey times to London.
But tory leadership candidate Andrea Leadsom has said she would review HS2 if she becomes prime minister.
Leadsom made the comments in an interview with ITV News, ahead of the second round of voting in the Tory leadership contest on Thursday afternoon, which resulted in Leadsom and Theresa May emerging as the remaining two candidates to become the next prime minister.
Higgins said the location of the South Yorkshire HS2 station had proved to be one of the most difficult challenges of the project due to problems with flood plains and the region’s topography.
He said: “I have listened to the very constructive comments and discussions that have taken place on how HS2 should best serve South Yorkshire and recommend the option of HS2 services using the existing city centre station.
“Decisions of this scale sometimes involve compromise, and through dialogue I believe we have reached the best solution for South Yorkshire.”
In March a team comprising CH2M, Atkins and SENER were appointed as the engineering delivery partner for Phase 1 of the high-speed line project.
