The first stage of HS2 is due for completion in 2026
The newly appointed chairman of the HS2 rail link has said it is essential the £50bn scheme has cross-party support.
Sir David Higgins told the BBC he would be frank with the public about spending on the high-speed line between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.
The plans have had the backing of all three main party leaders but are strongly opposed by some backbench MPs.
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls this week hinted Labour might ditch the project over its cost if it regained power.
He told his party conference Labour still supported the idea but suggested alternative options, including improvements to existing lines, may need to be considered.
Sir David said his current role as chief executive of Network Rail, which operates Britain's rail infrastructure, had taught him how badly the country needs a new train line.
Sir David, who becomes chairman of HS2 Ltd, the company developing the railway line, acknowledged that cross-party backing was vital for HS2, but said he did not hear anything too controversial in Mr Balls' speech and he was in agreement that the HS2 scheme had to provide value for money.
'High salaries'Australian Sir David, the former chief executive of the UK's Olympic Delivery Authority, also said he had been encouraged by what he had heard from the government about its commitment to the project.
BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott said by appointing a high-profile figure such as Sir David to help run HS2, the government was making a point that it was sticking by the scheme.
Sir David said he intended to be honest and blunt with the public about the need for HS2 and its costs.
But he also hinted that he was willing to pay high salaries - to "the right people" at "the going rate" - to recruit the best staff for the project.
Under the plans, HS2's first phase would see 225mph trains running on a new line between London and the West Midlands by 2026. A second phase would see the line extended further north, with branches to Leeds and Manchester by 2033.
The estimated cost of the plan has risen in the past few months from £34.2bn to £42.6bn - plus £7.5bn for rolling stock - and some senior Labour figures such as Lord Mandelson and Alistair Darling now oppose the project.
Supporters of HS2 argue that apart from shorter journey times, the main argument in favour of the project is the need to greatly increase passenger capacity.
Opponents are fighting the plans on a number of fronts, including the cost of the scheme and the effect on countryside areas that the line will cut through.
Source: BBC News - Business http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24278772#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
