'A Calamitous Failure': Social Media Reacts In Fury As HS2 Is Delayed Yet Again
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has confirmed that HS2 has been delayed yet again – and the reaction on social media was predictably withering.
She told MPs there is 'no route' to meet the target date of having it up and running by 2033, and refused to say when it might be.
'It's an appalling mess, but it's one we will sort out,' Alexander said.
'We need to set targets which we can confidently deliver, that the public can trust, and that will take time. But rest assured, where there are inefficiencies, we will root them out.'
HS2 was originally due to run between London and Birmingham, then on to Manchester and Leeds, but the project was severely curtailed by the previous Conservative government because of spiralling costs.
In 2013, it was estimated to cost £37.5 billion for the entire project, including the now-scrapped extensions from Birmingham.
But in June last year, the cost of building the line between London and Birmingham would be up to £66 billion.
Alexander said: 'This government will get the job done between Birmingham and London.
'We won't reinstate cancelled sections we can't afford, but we will do the hard but necessary work to rebuild public trust.'
On X, the news was greeted with predictable anger.
A calamitous failure of the British state.. of scrutiny, accountability, responsibility and political will… and not by any means an isolated example. https://t.co/SVnBXLEZ22
— steve richards (@steverichards14) June 18, 2025
I always take hs2 as one of the most prominent examples of how fucked we are as a country. 16 years at least now for a single rail line. China would knock it out in an afternoon. Embarrassing. https://t.co/JDOBCox0GM
— Corvideo Crowjima MD𓅃🏳️🌈🇵🇸 (@Minignu1) June 18, 2025
HS2 will end up as the defining joke of the 21st century.It was a ridiculous concept from the start, made only more ridiculous by the advent of modern technology which has already made it an unnecessary waste of time and money...https://t.co/W9zL9dGaol
— Darren Parkin (@EditorParkin) June 18, 2025
What an absolute farce & waste of billions of pounds. Stop HS2 now, it's not too late. @UKLabour@Conservatives@reformparty_ukpic.twitter.com/vtpawkSOQf
— percy greenfingers (@pgreenfingers) June 18, 2025
I feel like we've been posting about HS2 for longer than social media has existed. pic.twitter.com/ZDW95uWrrT
— Simple Politics (@easypoliticsUK) June 18, 2025
#HS2 - all that destruction, all that disruption and any (very limited) benefits disappear even further into futurehttps://t.co/btllSmOa8E
— Natalie Bennett (@natalieben) June 18, 2025
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