LABOUR is preparing to abandon its commitment to building high-speed rail lines from London to the North – because of delays to hugely expensive schemes in the capital.

Maria Eagle, the party’s transport spokeswoman, revealed she was considering cheaper ways of tackling overcrowding and cut journey times.

A Conservative source described the rethink as political suicide for Labour, adding: “Is Labour really going to oppose a measure that we support, to improve the North?”

Key projects in London – the Crossrail and Thameslink schemes – would have already started by 2015, the likely date of the next election, and would have to be completed first, she warned.

However, Ms Eagle said Labour was not abandoning passengers in the North, saying: “There will be other options to tackle overcrowding that we will examine in our policy review.” She accused David Cameron of exaggerating his Government’s commitment to high-speed rail, because its Bill will only cover planning and legal powers to take the line to Birmingham.

Before its election defeat, Labour had promised legislation to allow 250mph trains to run as far as Manchester and Leeds, to create a “core network”.

Those plans would cut the London to Newcastle journey time from 3hrs 9 min to 2hrs 37min – because high-speed trains would switch to conventional tracks north of Leeds – and ease overcrowding problems.

Labour’s rethink shatters the cross-party consensus that high-speed lines are essential, a consensus long seen as vital to private-sector confidence that such a long-term project will be carried through.

However, Ms Eagle said blame lay with the Conservative- led Government, which had shunted the costs of other costly schemes into the next parliament.

She explained: “I have a personal commitment to getting better rail services that benefit the North and I am 100 per cent committed to tackling overcrowding and journey times.

“But the reality is that a number of other other projects will have to be funded in the same parliament as the big spending on high-speed rail is due to happen.

“We have to question whether the Government can afford all of those things – which means we have to ask what our priorities are and what we can afford.”

Ms Eagle will launch her transport policy review next month – with “nothing ruled in or out” – and seek the views of experts on the wisdom of pressing ahead with highspeed lines.

Asked if people in the North would be angry if the project was dropped, she said: “What people want is a better train system, with the capacity to take people where they want to go at reasonable cost.”

The move comes ahead of the launch, next month, of the Government’s consultation on the detailed route between London and Birmingham – amid growing protests from residents affected.

Meanwhile, both the £15bn east-west Crossrail and £6bn north-south Thameslink schemes have been delayed until 2018, to avoid huge outlays in this parliament, and the £1bn Great Western electrification is on hold.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said: “High speed rail is in the national interest and will create huge economic benefits for the North-East.”