HS2 staff ordered to come to office more

Telegraph

3 hours ago

HS2 has ordered staff back into the office three days a week as it comes under fire over yet more delays and spiralling costs.
The beleaguered high speed railway line has told employees they must come into work more often, saying the change will aid 'faster decision-making'.
The Transport Secretary last week branded the project an 'appalling mess' as she revealed its completion has been pushed back beyond 2033.
HS2 has lagged behind other parts of the public sector on working from home even as its costs have spiralled out of control to an estimated £66 billion.
Right up until last month it still only required employees to attend work - either at an office or on site - for a minimum of two days a week.
Staff were finally informed on May 1 that they would now have to come in for at least three days, matching the standard set across Whitehall.
A spokesman for HS2 said: 'We recently increased our office and site working requirements to a minimum of three days a week. This is in line with many other parts of the public sector and we believe it supports collaboration, communication and faster decision-making.
'We recognise the continued benefits that hybrid working policies bring to employees such as promoting work life balance and enhancing employee wellbeing.'
The company insisted that compliance with attendance requirements is 'closely monitored' using swipe card data.
Staff who refuse to return to the office for the new three day minimum standard without a reasonable excuse could face disciplinary action.
HS2 has been blighted by repeated delays and soaring costs, despite the scope of the project being repeatedly scaled back by ministers.
It was originally meant to run on one main line from London to Birmingham, before splitting into separate branches destined for Manchester and Leeds.
When it was first announced by Gordon Brown in 2009, the rail line had an estimated price tag of £37.5 billion and was due to open in 2026.
Amid alarm over the rising costs and delays, Rishi Sunak significantly curtailed the project in 2023, meaning that it will now only run as far as Birmingham.
There have also been doubts over whether the London terminus will be Euston as planned, or if it will be moved to Old Oak Common to save money.
The surging costs of the project have largely been blamed on the need to tunnel under the Chilterns, an area of outstanding national beauty.
It has also been blighted by green regulations, including the requirement to build a £100 million bat tunnel, which has been criticised by Sir Keir Starmer.
Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, told the Commons last week that HS2 was 'an appalling mess' but 'it is one we will sort out'.
Announcing the delay beyond 2033, she 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. Where further ministerial interventions are needed, I will make them without fear or favour. HS2 will finally start delivering on our watch.'