HS2 trains may terminate at Old Oak Common, not Euston - according to the Sun (Image via HS2)

HS2 may not reach central London until 2038, with the entire project also potentially delayed by five years, according to the Sun.

The national title has reported that the £60 billion rail line may not reach its Euston terminus for another 15 years due to rising inflation and construction costs

And this could have a knock on effect in the local economy in and around Crewe with the potential HS2 could bring.

The paper said bosses were considering scrapping the link to central London completely, with trains instead terminating at a new hub at Old Oak Common - five miles away.

Commuters would then need to use the Elizabeth Line or Tube for the last leg of the journey.

The Sun also said the whole project could be delayed by two to five years.

The government has not denied the report.

A Department for Transport (DfT) spokesperson said the government remained committed to "delivering HS2 to Manchester, as confirmed in the Autumn Statement.

"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."

The HS2 website still shows plans for its Euston terminus with 10 450-metre platforms planned for the new station.

Sandbach Nub News reported in December that  Cheshire East would have a greater say in decisions on HS2 construction and design after voting to become a 'qualifying authority'.

Here is the story:  https://sandbach.nub.news/news/local-news/cheshire-east-to-have-greater-say-in-hs2-construction-and-design-163635

The council is already a qualifying authority for phase 2a – the route between Birmingham and Crewe.

This means it has more scope to give or refuse permission for specific details involved in the construction of HS2 within the borough along that part of the route, rather than leave decisions to be made at a national level.