Broader rail network enhancements pipeline could also see cuts, rail minister says.

Rapid inflation in the price of construction materials is putting a strain on Department for Transport capital spending and could necessitate 鈥渜uite tough decisions鈥� on the phasing and delivery of projects, including HS2, a senior civil servant has warned.

The department鈥檚 permanent secretary, Bernadette Kelly, told the House of Commons transport select committee that ministers would be taking decisions 鈥渙ver the next few weeks鈥� on how pressures across the capital portfolio are to be managed.

HS2 minister, Huw Merriman, walks on top of the high speed railway鈥檚 first and longest viaduct

Rail and HS2 minister, Huw Merriman, recently visited the Colne Valley Viaduct site

A six-monthly report on the high-speed rail project published last October revealed it was unlikely to meet its 拢40.3bn target cost, having already drawn down 拢1.5bn of its delegated contingency.

Kelly told the committee that the 拢1.9bn of net additional pressures on the first phase, predicted in the autumn, is now expected to crystallize.

She added that ministers were yet to receive a full response to their request for a cost mediation plan from HS2.

鈥淚t is likely that there will be some quite tough decisions that need to be taken then, including around the phasing and delivery of all our capital programmes, including HS2,鈥� she said.

The new rail and HS2 minister Huw Merriman also gave evidence to the committee, which he had chaired until his ministerial appointment last November.

He indicated that the broader rail network enhancements pipeline would also likely see cuts, telling MPS that there were 鈥渇ar too many projects in it for the funding envelope鈥�.

>> Clouds gather over HS2: What would cutting Britain鈥檚 biggest infrastructure project mean for the industry?

鈥淭here will be projects that colleagues may have been told would be going ahead but which actually have not been proceeded with and will not go ahead,鈥� he said.

鈥淢y job is going to have to be to give the bad news.鈥�

Merriman also assured the committee that it would soon have answers regarding the government鈥檚 plans to connect parts of the country which have previously fallen victim to HS2 cuts.

A promised study on connecting Leeds would be published 鈥渟hortly鈥�, he said, though he wavered on a previously stated commitment to put forward an alternative to the Goldborne link 鈥� a proposed 13-mile line that would connect HS2 services with Scotland 鈥� by the end of March.

鈥淚 will do everything I can because there is a big impact on the HS2 project going all the way towards Scotland in terms of alternatives to the Golborne Link. I am a little concerned about saying that I am definitely going to hit that deadline,鈥� he said.

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