THE government was accused of letting down northern cities today following the announcement that HS2 will be delayed and exceed its budget by up to £22 billion.

HS2 Ltd chairman Allan Cook admitted the company’s original plans did not “take sufficient account” of the difficulties of building a high-speed line through densely populated areas.

He said that the project’s budget was “unrealistic,” adding that the original projected cost of £55.7bn may now have to be raised to £78bn.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said adjusting for inflation in construction costs means Mr Cook’s estimate of the final bill for HS2 ranges from £81bn to £88bn at 2019 prices, compared with a budget of £62.4bn.

Mr Cook also said that the scheme was not expected to be completed until 2040, although the line was expected to be completed in Crewe, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds by 2033.

TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “A delay will set back our economy and hamper the much-needed clean and green evolution of our transport infrastructure.

“Our northern cities and the wider economy just can’t afford to wait — they are crying out for the boost HS2 will give to regional economies.”

A separate review into whether to scrap the railway was launched by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last month and will be completed this autumn.

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said: “Successive Conservative transport ministers have shown themselves to be utterly incompetent and unable to oversee the finances and governance of HS2, among other infrastructure projects.

“This government has misled both Parliament and the public about the cost of HS2.

“People need to have confidence in the project, so this delay is bad news for the UK transport system as a whole and the north of England in particular.”