UK’s Hunt says HS2 rail line will connect to central London

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LONDON, Jan 27 (Reuters) –

British finance minister Jeremy Hunt promised that the country’s new high speed rail line HS2 will connect to central London as originally planned, dismissing a report that the line would end on the outskirts of the capital to save money.

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“I don’t see any conceivable circumstance in which that would not end up at Euston,” Hunt said after he delivered a speech laying out his plans for growth.

The Sun newspaper reported earlier on Friday that the government was considering stopping the flagship rail service in west London, instead of Euston, central London, due to surging inflation.

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“We are absolutely committed to showing that we can deliver big, important infrastructure projects,” Hunt said earlier on Friday.

HS2, which will connect London to Manchester in northern England, was expected to cost between 72 billion pounds ($89 billion) and 98 billion pounds at 2019 prices, but since then inflation has soared, with price rises in the construction industry said to stand at 18%.

The Sun report said ending the line in west London would scrap the need for 7 kilometers of tunnel, with other options being considered including delaying the extension to Euston or delaying the whole project by two to five years.

Asked about the report, the government did not deny it was considering the west London option, but confirmed its commitment to the track reaching Manchester, in northern England.

“The government remains committed to delivering HS2 to Manchester, as confirmed in the Autumn Statement,” a Department for Transport spokesperson said in an emailed statement before Hunt’s comments. ($1 = 0.8085 pounds) (Reporting by Sarah Young, additional reporting by Andy Bruce; Editing by Kate Holton and Christina Fincher)