RAIL unions warned today that the quick sale of land acquired for phase two of HS2 could amount to a developer “gold rush” that worsens travel between Birmingham and Manchester.

They urged ministers to halt the plans after independent government infrastructure adviser Sir John Armitt warned there was a “real risk” the sell-off would make rail travel between Birmingham and Manchester “even more congested.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced he would axe the high-speed rail link to Manchester and sell off properties purchased on the route, with  the government insisting today it was delivering “transport that matters most.”

Sir John, chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, told the BBC that Mr Sunak’s firesale of land was a “mistake” and should be postponed for at least two years.

TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said scrapping the HS2 leg from Birmingham to Manchester was “wholly wrong … but the idea of speedily selling land around this route is likely to lead to further poor decision making.  

“Our worry is that in some areas the land will fall into the wrong hands and developers, in the housing sector and elsewhere, will see this as a potential gold rush. 

“Instead, what should be considered is what is best for the people of the counties and cities at the heart of this, while also taking time to evaluate what any decision does to assist rail travel between Birmingham and Manchester.” 

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said Britain needs a publicly owned high-speed rail network throughout the country, with the decision to sell “yet another nail in the coffin for our ailing transport infrastructure.”

An Aslef spokesman added: “The proposed sale of land bought for HS2 is a deliberate knife through the heart of a vital project.”