'No money' for high-speed rail

THERE IS no business or environmental case - and no money - for the government's HS2 high-speed rail project, MPs were told yesterday.

The project, which could cost as much as 34 billion, was "a massive, massive gamble", said Stop HS2 convener Joe Rukin.

The scheme, involving a London-Birmingham line and then links to Scotland, had not been properly assessed, Mr Rukin told the Commons transport committee. He said: "The more we find out (about) the project, the worse it seems to be."

Matthew Farrow, the CBI's transport head, said the body supported HS2 as there were concerns about overcrowding on the London to Scotland west coast main line.