Tunnel option delays decision on HS2 rail link

A decision on whether to build a £32 billion high-speed rail link to the North will be delayed until next year, the Transport Secretary said today.

Justine Greening confirmed she was putting off the announcement, which had been due before Parliament breaks up for Christmas in two weeks' time. Instead she expects to make a decision on the HS2 project "in January".

News of a delay leaked out over the weekend amid speculation that Ms Greening was considering a £500 million tunnel for a section of the route through the Chilterns.

A transport source said the tunnel would cost "nowhere near that" but confirmed engineers had been asked to examine the possibility of linking two other tunnels near Amersham. Money for the extension would come from savings elsewhere on the route, the source said.