The future of the flagship rail HS2 project linking the north and south of England appears in doubt after the Government refused to confirm it will reach central London.
According to a national newspaper rising construction prices mean the high speed rail project may not run to Euston until 2038.
It could even mean Euston being ditched as a terminus completely.
Instead commuters would disembark at a new hub about five miles away to the west of London and travel into the city centre by tube.
HS2 was intended to connect London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, but the leg to Leeds has already been scrapped.
It has also been reported that a two-to-five-year delay to the whole project is being considered, with fears that the Birmingham to Crewe and Manchester legs could also be scrapped.
Work on the first phase of the project, between London and Birmingham, is well under way and is scheduled to open by 2033.
A Department for Transport statement said the government remained committed to delivering HS2 to Manchester.
It said: ‘As well as supporting tens of thousands of jobs, the project will connect regions across the UK, improve capacity on our railways and provide a greener option of travel.’
