Ealing Central and Acton MP Dr Rupa Huq has urged the Government to consider opening the Elizabeth line station at Old Oak Common earlier, after fresh delays pushed the arrival of HS2 services at the major transport hub between East Acton and North Acton back until at least 2036.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday (19 May 2026), Dr Huq said residents in the area were becoming increasingly frustrated by the “ever-lengthening timeline” surrounding the long-awaited Old Oak Common station and wider HS2 project.
The Labour MP welcomed what she described as greater clarity from the Government compared with previous years of uncertainty over HS2, but said local residents who had moved into new developments around Old Oak Common were still waiting to see promised transport improvements materialise.
Dr Huq said: “However, for my residents in Old Oak Common — this fabled area that was once going to be the terminus — the ever-lengthening timeline is disappointing.
“Will the Secretary of State consider opening the Elizabeth line station a bit earlier? Some new builds, such as Oaklands Rise, were promised that there would be a brand-new station in 2026, so surely there should be something in it for them before 2039.”
Her comments came during a Commons statement on the future of HS2 and wider rail infrastructure.
Responding on behalf of the Government, Heidi Alexander, the Secretary of State for Transport, acknowledged concerns about development progressing ahead of transport links in the area.
Ms Alexander said the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation was seeking a development partner to help deliver 8,000 new homes in the area, with potentially 1,000 beginning construction during the current Parliament.
She told MPs: “We need to ensure that there is adequate public transport provision for any homes and development that happen to provide for new residents.
“I will take away her specific point about the Elizabeth line; I am not entirely sure of its feasibility, but I will come back to her with more detail.”
The delay was announced as part of a major “reset” of the troubled high-speed rail project by Ms Alexander, who said HS2 had suffered from years of “mismanagement, flawed reporting and ineffective oversight”.
Ms Alexander said: “The mismanagement of the project under previous governments has been completely unacceptable.”
The Government also acknowledged spiralling costs linked to the scheme. HS2 was originally estimated to cost around £37.5 billion when plans were first announced, but ministers said the projected cost has now risen to as much as £102.7 billion.
Old Oak Common was originally expected to become a major interchange station linking HS2 with the Elizabeth line and Great Western Main Line services.
However, revised Government timelines announced on Tuesday (19 May 2026) confirmed that the first HS2 services between Old Oak Common and Birmingham are now expected to begin between 2036 and 2039.
The Government also said the full HS2 line through to London Euston is not expected to be completed until between 2040 and 2043.
