theguardian.com 10 days ago URGENCY: 6/10
HS2 Costs Soar to £102bn, Delays Until 2039
The HS2 high-speed railway project faces a staggering budget increase to £102.7 billion, with first trains now delayed until 2039. Discover the shocking reasons behind this monumental rise in costs and timelines.
Major Budget Overruns and Delays
The HS2 high-speed railway, initially projected to cost £32.7 billion, is now estimated to reach £102.7 billion, with the first trains not expected to run until 2039. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has attributed this obscene increase to a combination of inflation and significant underestimations in the original project scope.
Key points include:
- Cost Increase: The budget has ballooned by £70 billion, with only a third attributed to inflation.
- Timeline Extension: Full completion of the railway is now pushed back to between 2040 and 2043.
- Operational Changes: To mitigate costs, trains will operate at reduced speeds, dropping from 225 mph to nearly 200 mph.
Alexander criticized the previous Conservative government for mismanagement, stating that much of the budget was spent without any track being laid. Despite considering cancellation, the government concluded that finishing the project would be more cost-effective than halting it altogether.