Grayling: HS2 £100bn price tag 'nonsense'

The government has just announced the first six contracts for HS2 - said to be Europe's biggest infrastructure project. The price is currently set at £55.7bn, though its critics say it will end up costing a lot more.

Responding to reports over the weekend that the final cost of HS2 will be over £100bn, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said that figure is "just nonsense".

The estimate comes from Michael Byng, who worked alongside Network Rail to devise its method for costing projects.

"He's got no involvement in the [HS2] project at all," Mr Grayling told the Today programme.