TRANPORT Secretary Patrick McLoughlin faces a grilling from MPs over a contested report that predicts the HS2 rail project could benefit the UK by £15 billion a year.

The Commons transport committee has summoned the minister and authors of the analysis KPMG on November 26 following claims it was flawed and excluded negative aspects of the high-speed rail line.

Mr McLoughlin used the upbeat findings of the report, which was commissioned by HS2 Ltd, in a fresh push to bolster support for the controversial £50bn project.

But while it listed the areas that would benefit, such as Greater London by £2.8bn and the West Midlands by £1.5bn, it omitted details of those that would be worse off.

KPMG's head of infrastructure, building and construction, Richard Threlfall, last week insisted his firm had "gone out of our way to be as transparent as possible".