Crossrail and HS2 chair Sir Terry Morgan faces sack after costs spiral
The chair of the Crossrail and HS2 infrastructure projects reportedly faces the sack over fears the rail link between London and Birmingham could exceed its £56bn budget by a large margin.
Sir Terry Morgan has only been chair of HS2 for four months but could now be fired within weeks after his poor performance was flagged to the Prime Minister.
Chancellor Philip Hammond and transport secretary Chris Grayling both reportedly shared their concerns with Prime Minister Theresa May.
A government source told the Financial Times: “They told the PM they have no confidence in him and she agrees. It is only a question of finding the right moment to announce it.”
Morgan only took the helm at HS2 in August, having been chair of Crossrail since 2009.
His dismissal would cause embarrassment for the transport secretary, who backed Morgan’s “world-class leadership” following his appointment.
“His wealth of experience and expertise, demonstrated in numerous leading roles including overseeing the ambitious Crossrail project, as well as his respected reputation and enthusiasm, will be invaluable in the project’s continued success,” Grayling said in a statement in July.
In August Morgan stepped down from his role as chairman of London City Airport to focus on Crossrail and HS2.
Crossrail, a £15.4bn underground rail project, has also been beset with problems.
In August it was announced that the project faced a nine-month delay, despite repeated reassurances that it would be delivered on time and on budget.
Last week the National Audit Office (NAO) said it will launch an investigation into the troubled project in early 2019.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said: “We do not comment on personnel matters.”
Morgan confirmed to Sky News that he expects to be asked to leave.