Rupa Huq Presses Minister After HS2 'Reset'

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Asks for earlier opening of Elizabeth line at Old Oak Common

Rupa Huq MP with HS2 CEO Mark Wild (right)

May 23, 2026

Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq has seized on a double round of HS2 debates in Parliament this week to demand clarity and compensation for residents living around Old Oak Common, as the Government confirmed yet another “reset” of the troubled high-speed rail project.

HS2, first proposed under the Coalition Government and now spanning six Prime Ministers, has ballooned from its original £30 billion budget to well over £100 billion, while shrinking dramatically in scope. The eastern leg to Leeds was cancelled in 2021, and last year the Manchester extension was scrapped. What remains is a single high-speed line from London to Birmingham, with Old Oak Common — on the Ealing/Hammersmith border — now set to be the London terminus for the foreseeable future.

This week’s announcement by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed that the Government is reviewing the construction timetable, costs and delivery model, with a new “phased opening” under consideration. The full HS2 service is now not expected until the late 2030s, and possibly beyond.

Speaking in the Commons, Dr Huq said residents in the Old Oak area had endured “ten years of living on a building site” with no clear end in sight.

“Old Oak Common residents have already been living on a building site for the past ten years and now face yet more disruption and uncertainty with no definite end date, while enjoying none of the benefits they were promised,” she said. “It’s no wonder many of my constituents are losing patience.”

She pressed the Minister to consider opening the Elizabeth line platforms at Old Oak Common ahead of the HS2 station, arguing that thousands of new homes — including at Oaklands Rise — were sold on the promise of a major new transport hub by 2026.

“Will the Secretary of State consider opening the Elizabeth line station a bit earlier?” she asked. “Some new builds were promised that there would be a brand-new station in 2026, so surely there should be something in it for them before 2039.”

Ms Alexander said she would “look into this and revert”.

Later the same day, the local MP returned to the chamber for an evening debate on the impact of HS2 on local communities, where she criticised the lack of compensation for residents.

Debating with Joy Morrissey, the former Ealing councillor now MP for Beaconsfield, Dr Huq described Wells House Road, NW10 as “the most blighted road in England”, saying residents had endured years of noise, dust, vibration and road closures with little support.

“While the cost of HS2 has tripled, the community funds have not,” she said. “Buckinghamshire is a recipient, as is Euston, but Ealing and Old Oak Common are not at all.”

Her comments reflect long-standing frustration that while areas further up the line have received dedicated mitigation funds, communities closest to the London works have been left out.

This week’s “reset” follows months of speculation about the future of the project. Key elements include:

• A review of the construction timetable, with ministers refusing to commit to any firm completion date.
• A reassessment of costs, after the National Audit Office warned that inflation and design changes had pushed the project far beyond its revised budget.
• A new delivery model, with the Government considering breaking up HS2 Ltd or bringing in private-sector partners.

Previously Dr Huq had organised an open day giving local residents rare access behind the hoardings at the Old Oak Common site. Attendees were able to question the CEO of HS2 directly and view progress on what will eventually be the UK’s largest new railway station.

The MP said she hoped the renewed scrutiny would finally deliver improvements for those living closest to the works.

“Let us hope and pray this parliamentary pressure results in a ‘reset’ that brings benefit to affected residents with good news at last for this project which has ballooned in cost and timescale,” she said. “Be assured, I certainly will keep pressing.”

Further announcements are expected later this year as the Government completes its review.

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