The HS2 saga continues after the government confirmed that the project will be delayed again, while projected costs have increased.
The high-speed railway has been designed to make rail journeys quicker and smoother between London and destinations in the West Midlands, and originally, the North.
But it has been plagued by delays, cost issues and the scrapping of the northern leg.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander revealed in the Commons today that trains are not able to depart before 2036 and possibly not until 2039, casting aside the earlier estimate of 2033.
However, the stretch between London Euston and Curzon Street and the Handsacre Junction, Staffordshire, station might not be ready until 2043.
Meanwhile, the costs of the megaproject are reaching eye-watering amounts, with projected estimates now between £87.7 and £102.7 billion.
A chunk of the increased costs, around two-thirds, is due to works being missed, underestimates and inefficient delivery, the Transport Secretary said.
The rest was due to inflation which wasn’t factored in regularly enough by previous Conservative governments, she added.
HS2 Ltd estimated in June last year that the project would cost between £54 billion and £66 billion.
Another change likely to irk frustrated rail passengers is the estimated speed, which has been cut from 225mph (360km/h) to 200mph (320km/h) because there are no test tracks available in the UK at the peak speed.
It is still set to be among the ‘fastest trains in Europe,’ Alexander insisted. She hit out at the previous governments, accusing them of wasting taxpayer money.
The northern legs to Manchester via Crewe, and to Leeds, were axed by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in 2023.
Alexander said the previous governments have created a ‘slow motion car crash.’
‘If this seems like an obscene increase in time and cost, it is,’ she said, adding that she is ‘angry’ on behalf of taxpayers, passengers and those working on the railways.
What was the reaction like?
MPs lambasted the project in the Commons today, saying their constituents in areas with construction have faced disruption for years, including traffic nightmares due to road closures during construction, while some landowners are still waiting for payments for purchased land.
The Liberal Democrats spokesperson, Olly Glover MP, urged the UK to learn from France, where high-speed rail lines have been built for decades ‘at costs per mile at least 90% lower than HS2’s.’
Transport Secretary said: ‘Taxpayers, passengers and communities along the route have been let down by years of mismanagement on HS2.
‘I share their anger about the waste and mess, but I am proud that this Government has worked with HS2’s new senior team to get this project off life support and on the road to recovery.
‘We will get the job done but we will also take every opportunity to save time and money in the process, getting a grip on delivery, controlling costs, and stripping out the complexity that’s plagued the project in the past.’
Cancelling the entire project is not an option, Alexander suggested.
An aerial view showing the London Euston station and the HS2 construction next to it.
She said scrapping the project entirely would cost nearly as much as finishing it, and would leave unfinished ‘relics’ strewn across the UK countryside.
The announcement has sparked a scathing reaction from people on social media.
George Marshall said on X: ‘I’ve long been an advocate of HS2. But 2043 is not serious. Construction started in 2020. A quarter of a century to build 140 miles of track is ludicrous. It’s frankly embarrassing, and at this point inexcusable.’
Another user wrote: ‘This thing has ripped straight through the beautiful greenery of England’s countryside and cost how much exactly?’
After the North was left without HS2, planning in the region has ramped up for another solution. While it is not high speed, the Northern Powerhouse Rail has been given a go-ahead, with the government insisting it will not repeat the mistakes of HS2.