show ad Revealed: Mounting Cabinet revolt threatens to sink the HS2 rail link as ministers look to 'kill off' project after budget nearly doubles to £60billion * Ministers are worried by the HS2 project's spiralling costs, a senior source says * A growing Cabinet revolt is said to be threatening to sink the rail -- comments A growing Cabinet revolt is threatening to sink the HS2 rail link. Ministers are alarmed by the project’s spiralling costs and are -- This means funding could be squeezed or stopped. An investigation screened tonight claims ministers fear that over a decade HS2 will cost up to £6billion a year – equal to the entire maintenance budget for the existing rail network. -- told of rising dissent. HS2 opponents are said to include Theresa May’s deputy David Lidington, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss and Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom. ‘There is concern across government at the way the project is -- £6billion a year – equivalent to Network Rail’s annual budget for maintenance and upgrade work. HS2 opponents are said to include Theresa May¿s deputy David Lidington (pictured) HS2 opponents are said to include Theresa May¿s deputy David Lidington (pictured) HS2 opponents are said to include Theresa May’s deputy David Lidington (pictured) -- * [9623898-0-image-m-8_1549804930437.jpg] Ministers are 'keen to kill off' HS2 amid growing concern... [9532008-0-image-a-18_1549575097755.jpg] The £5BILLION HS2 property disaster: Buying land for the... -- Tonight’s investigation, for Channel 4’s Dispatches programme, claims that although published national accounts show HS2 will rise to an average cost of £4.2billion a year over the next ten years, ministers have secretly allocated up to £6billion a year. -- A Cabinet minister told the Spectator: ‘In the next Tory leadership contest the winning candidate will need to have “Scrap HS2” in his or her leadership manifesto — as in: call the whole thing off.’ Another minister told the magazine: ‘The case for HS2 is and always was nonsense. By the time it gets to Birmingham, if it ever does, there will have been so many rows about cost overruns that the second phase won’t happen.’ Dispatches also reveals that ministers are considering saving money by building only the first leg of HS2, the section that runs from London to Birmingham. -- of Road and Rail watchdog in December. Asked if we would regret the construction of HS2, he replies: ‘That is what the analysis shows. There was no big picture analysis. We just don’t know whether there would have been a better way of spending the money.’ Phase one of the high-speed rail link will open between London and Birmingham in December 2026 before the railway is extended to Crewe, Manchester and Leeds by 2033 Phase one of the high-speed rail link will open between London and Birmingham in December 2026 before the railway is extended to Crewe, Manchester and Leeds by 2033 Phase one of the high-speed rail link will open between London and Birmingham in December 2026 before the railway is extended to Crewe, Manchester and Leeds by 2033 Alistair Darling, who was chancellor when HS2 Limited was set up to build the line ten years ago, tells Dispatches the project should now be scrapped. -- country, both economically and politically.’ A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘HS2 is already underway with 7,000 people and 2,000 businesses working on building what will become the backbone of Britain’s rail network. -- be prepared to ‘junk white elephant’ projects. Last week it emerged that HS2 has already spent more than £2billion on buying up land and property along the route. A quarter of HS2 workers were said to be on six-figure pay deals. HS2: The Great Train Robbery. Dispatches, tonight at 8pm on Channel 4 Advertisement Share or comment on this article: Mounting Cabinet revolt threatens to sink the HS2 rail link *