HS2 opening to be delayed beyond 2033
Ministers plan to learn from the mistakes of HS2 so that they do a better job when it comes to projects like Northern Powerhouse Rail and the Lower Thames Crossing, it is understood.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
27 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Rayner stands in for Starmer at PMQs
Angela Rayner is set to stand in for Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions. Sir Keir is flying back to Britain after attending a G7 summit in Canada, leaving the job of representing the Government at PMQs to his deputy. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, is expected to substitute for Kemi Badenoch and he will have plenty of ammunition to choose from. The latest official numbers published this morning showed inflation had fallen slightly in May from 3.5 per cent to 3.4 per cent but that figure is still way above the Bank of England's 2 per cent target. The Government is pushing back the opening of HS2 between London and Birmingham beyond the original timeline of 2033, with a likely delay of at least two years. And then there is the worsening situation in the Middle East, amid signs that Donald Trump is poised to enter the war between Israel and Iran. The Government also remains under pressure over the grooming gangs scandal. Sir Keir announced at the weekend that there will be a full national statutory inquiry having previously resisted calls for such a move and accused proponents of 'jumping on the bandwagon of the far Right.'
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
HS2 opening to be delayed beyond 2033
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is expected to tell Parliament on Wednesday afternoon there is 'no reasonable way to deliver' the high-speed railway on schedule and within budget. The project has already suffered repeated delays and soaring costs despite being scaled back. Ms Alexander will tell the Commons she is drawing a 'line in the sand' over the beleaguered rail project, as the Government attempts to reset how the UK delivers major infrastructure. The Government intends to learn from the mistakes of HS2 so that they do a better job when it comes to projects like Northern Powerhouse Rail and the Lower Thames Crossing, it is understood. Housing and planning minister Matthew Pennycook said there were 'serious problems' with HS2 'in terms of accountability, project overruns, costs'. He told LBC the Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes a number of changes that will 'speed up the consenting process for nationally significant infrastructure'. He said: 'Frankly, when it comes to HS2, in some ways we're a bit of a laughing stock around the world in terms of how we handle infrastructure. 'As a Government, we're absolutely determined to turn that around.' The result of two reviews into HS2 are expected to be announced alongside the Transport Secretary's statement. The first of these is an interim report by Mark Wild, the chief executive of HS2 Ltd, who was appointed late last year. He will assess the construction of the project from London to Birmingham. A second, wider review into the governance and accountability of HS2 Ltd, led by James Stewart, will also report back. This is expected to set out what has gone wrong with the project, and what ministers can learn for future infrastructure projects. The Transport Secretary is also expected to address allegations of fraud by contractors to HS2 Ltd which have emerged recently. Earlier this week, it emerged HS2 Ltd reported a sub-contractor working on the rail line to HMRC following an internal probe. During the statement, Ms Alexander is set to announce a new chair of HS2 Ltd. The current chair, Sir Jon Thompson, previously announced he would stand down in the spring of this year. His replacement will be Mike Brown, according to The Daily Telegraph newspaper. Mr Brown is the former commissioner for Transport for London, who helped to oversee the delivery of Crossrail, the transport project which became London's Elizabeth line. HS2 was originally due to run between London and Birmingham, then onto Manchester and Leeds, but the project was severely curtailed by the Conservatives in power because of spiralling costs. The first phase was initially planned to open by the end of 2026, but this was pushed back to between 2029 and 2033. In 2013, HS2 was estimated to cost £37.5 billion (at 2009 prices) for the entire planned network, including the now-scrapped extensions from Birmingham. In June last year, HS2 Ltd assessed the cost for the line between London and Birmingham would be up to £66 billion. Concerns about the costs of the stunted project have persisted. Revelations in November last year that HS2 Ltd spent £100 million on a bat tunnel aimed at mitigating the railway's environmental impact stunned Westminster, and were singled out by Sir Keir Starmer for criticism.
.png%3Ftrim%3D0%2C0%2C0%2C0%26width%3D1200%26height%3D800%26crop%3D1200%3A800&w=3840&q=100)
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Is HS2 still worth completing, or is it just a £66bn mistake? Join The Independent Debate
With the cost of Britain's flagship high-speed rail project soaring past £66 billion and its opening delayed yet again – this time well beyond 2033 – serious questions are being raised about the future of HS2, and what, if anything, should be salvaged. What was once promised as a transformational national infrastructure project linking London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds has been continuously scaled back, plagued by spiralling budgets, environmental controversies, governance failures and now, fresh allegations of fraud. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is set to confirm to Parliament this week that the project will be delayed indefinitely, conceding there is 'no reasonable way to deliver' HS2 on time or within budget. Two independent reviews are due to be published imminently, one focusing on the London-Birmingham section still under construction, the other investigating the leadership and decision-making behind the project's troubled path. Ms Alexander says this is about drawing 'a line in the sand' and moving forward with lessons learned for future schemes like Northern Powerhouse Rail and the Lower Thames Crossing. But the question remains: what should become of HS2? Some argue that completing the full route as originally envisioned is the only way to realise its benefits and justify the money already spent. Meanwhile, others believe it's time to stop the funding tap and either halt the project entirely or limit it to the part that's already furthest along, from London to Birmingham. Now we want to know where you stand. Should HS2 be finished in full or scaled back? Or do you think it should be scrapped entirely? Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll above – we'll feature the most compelling responses and discuss the results in the coming days. All you have to do is sign up and register your details – then you can take part in the debate. You can also sign up by clicking 'log in' on the top right-hand corner of the screen.
