Latest news with #BalfourBeattyVinci
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
First platform for HS2 revealed at Old Oak Common
HS2 has revealed the first platform section on the high-speed railway. Engineers have started installing the concrete slabs passengers will use when boarding or alighting high-speed trains at Old Oak Common station, west London. Six platforms are being built at the site to serve HS2's fleet of 400-metre trains. Huw Edwards, delivery director for stations and placemaking at HS2 Ltd, said: 'The installation of the first passenger platforms represents a real step forward in taking HS2 from purely a construction project to the future of Britain's railways. 'Whilst there is still much more to work to do, standing where passengers will alight HS2 services is a reminder of what this railway will achieve – creating connections between people and places, that will benefit generations to come.' Steve O'Sullivan, project director for the Balfour Beatty Vinci Systra joint venture, which is constructing the station, described the installation of platforms as 'a defining moment in the delivery of HS2'. He went on: 'It's a powerful symbol of progress, not just in terms of engineering, but also highlights the change in project focus from the current civil phase of the works to the building, fit out and the mechanical, electrical and public health phase of the works.' Old Oak Common will be the London terminus for HS2 services when they launch because of delays in developing Euston station in central London. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in October last year that the Government will fund the building of a pair of tunnels stretching 4.5 miles between Old Oak Common and Euston. But uncertainty remains over the development of Euston. In October 2023, then prime minister Rishi Sunak announced that the project would be reliant on private investment. This was aimed at saving £6.5 billion of taxpayers' money. Major HS2 construction work at a site alongside the existing Euston station has been halted since March 2023 because of funding doubts. The entire high-speed railway project is undergoing a reset led by Mark Wild, who became HS2 Ltd chief executive in December amid rising costs and delays.
Sky News
7 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
HS2: Investigation launched into two firms supplying construction workers
An investigation has been launched into "whistleblower allegations" about the practices of some "labour suppliers" to the company building the embattled HS2 rail line. HS2 Ltd is investigating two companies that supply workers to build part of the London to Birmingham section of the line, which the i Paper, which first reported the story, says relates to the billing for the staff supplied. The company, which is owned by the government, says it "treats all whistleblower allegations seriously" and launched an investigation earlier this year, while the Department for Transport adds that it will ensure any claims of wrongdoing are "thoroughly investigated". The paper reports that the allegations relate to staff being misclassified, and therefore an inflated rate being charged to employ them. It is understood the two firms under investigation were providing workers to one of HS2's contractors on the West Midlands section of the line, Balfour Beatty Vinci (BBV), which is not accused of wrongdoing. 3:09 A spokesperson for HS2 Ltd says BBV has "implemented additional monitoring and controls". It is understood that one contractor remains suspended from new contracts while the probe continues. An HS2 spokesperson said: "HS2 Ltd treats all whistleblower allegations seriously and we are aware of the claims made in relation to labour suppliers on part of the route. "An investigation was launched earlier this year into a number of different allegations and our contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI has implemented additional monitoring and controls." A Department for Transport spokesperson added: "The government and HS2 Ltd take all whistleblower allegations extremely seriously and have a zero-tolerance attitude towards fraud, bribery, and corruption. We will therefore ensure any claims of wrongdoing in HS2's supply chain are thoroughly investigated. "We have taken action to grip the delivery of HS2, tasking CEO Mark Wild to fundamentally reset the project and change the company's culture and capability to deliver the line as cost effectively as possible." It is understood that there is currently no police or HMRC involvement. BBV has been approached for comment. What is HS2? The HS2 rail line was announced in 2009 to boost capacity and cut the journey time between London and the north of England. The initial plan was to build the first phase connecting London and Birmingham, followed by adding two branches to Manchester and Leeds - but the previous Conservative government decided to scrap the second phase due to spiralling costs and numerous setbacks, and the new Labour administration has said it will not reverse the decision. Sir Keir Starmer's government has pledged to "get a grip" on the rising costs of the project that, according to a House of Commons research briefing, have been driven "by high inflation, as well as scope changes, worse ground conditions than expected and optimism bias". In 2012, it was estimated that HS2 Phase 1 would cost £20.5bn (in 2019 prices) to complete - but forecasts have since grown, with the most recent estimate in January 2024 estimating it would cost £49bn to £56.6bn (in 2019 prices).
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
HS2: Investigation launched into two firms supplying construction workers
An investigation has been launched into "whistleblower allegations" about the practices of some "labour suppliers" to the company building the embattled HS2 rail line. HS2 Ltd is investigating two companies that supply workers to build part of the London to Birmingham section of the line, which the i Paper, which first reported the story, says relates to the billing for the staff supplied. The company, which is owned by the government, says it "treats all whistleblower allegations seriously" and launched an investigation earlier this year, while the Department for Transport adds that it will ensure any claims of wrongdoing are "thoroughly investigated". Politics latest: The paper reports that the allegations relate to staff being misclassified, and therefore an inflated rate being charged to employ them. It is understood the two firms under investigation were providing workers to one of HS2's contractors on the West Midlands section of the line, Balfour Beatty Vinci (BBV), which is not accused of wrongdoing. A spokesperson for HS2 Ltd says BBV has "implemented additional monitoring and controls". It is understood that one contractor remains suspended from new contracts while the probe continues. An HS2 spokesperson said: "HS2 Ltd treats all whistleblower allegations seriously and we are aware of the claims made in relation to labour suppliers on part of the route. "An investigation was launched earlier this year into a number of different allegations and our contractor Balfour Beatty VINCI has implemented additional monitoring and controls." A Department for Transport spokesperson added: "The government and HS2 Ltd take all whistleblower allegations extremely seriously and have a zero-tolerance attitude towards fraud, bribery, and corruption. We will therefore ensure any claims of wrongdoing in HS2's supply chain are thoroughly investigated. "We have taken action to grip the delivery of HS2, tasking CEO Mark Wild to fundamentally reset the project and change the company's culture and capability to deliver the line as cost effectively as possible." It is understood that there is currently no police or HMRC involvement. BBV has been approached for comment. What is HS2? The HS2 rail line was announced in 2009 to boost capacity and cut the journey time between London and the north of England. The initial plan was to build the first phase connecting London and Birmingham, followed by adding two branches to Manchester and Leeds - but the previous Conservative government decided to scrap the second phase due to spiralling costs and numerous setbacks, and the new Labour administration has said it will not reverse the decision. Read more:Sam Coates PM declares war on £100m HS2 bat shedGovernment doesn't know how much HS2 will cost Sir Keir Starmer's government has pledged to "get a grip" on the rising costs of the project that, according to a House of Commons research briefing, have been driven "by high inflation, as well as scope changes, worse ground conditions than expected and optimism bias". In 2012, it was estimated that HS2 Phase 1 would cost £20.5bn (in 2019 prices) to complete - but forecasts have since grown, with the most recent estimate in January 2024 estimating it would cost £49bn to £56.6bn (in 2019 prices).
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
HS2 investigates claims company overcharged for supplying workers
The company building the high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham is investigating claims that one of its labour suppliers on the project charged overinflated rates for staff. HS2 Ltd launched an investigation into a subcontractor providing workers to build the West Midlands section of the line, which has been beset with delays and cost overruns, amid allegations about its billing practices. It said Danny Sullivan Group remains suspended from new contracts while the investigation continues. The Department for Transport (DfT) said it would ensure 'any claims of wrongdoing in HS2's supply chain' were 'thoroughly investigated'. HS2's investigation, which began earlier this year, was first reported by the i website. According to the claims, whistleblowers alleged that self-employed staff were being wrongly billed as salaried employees, leading to overpayments. A spokesperson for Danny Sullivan Group has said it takes the allegations 'extremely seriously' and is co-operating fully with the investigation. HS2 also looked into a second firm, which had its suspension lifted 'following a period of remediation' and remains under enhanced monitoring. The two firms being looked at were providing workers to Balfour Beatty Vinci (BBV), one of HS2's main contractors. 'HS2 Ltd treats all whistleblower allegations seriously and we are aware of the claims made in relation to labour suppliers on part of the route,' said a spokesperson for the company. 'An investigation was launched earlier this year into a number of different allegations and our contractor BBV has implemented additional monitoring and controls.' A DfT spokesperson said that the government and HS2 'take all whistleblower allegations extremely seriously and have a zero-tolerance attitude towards fraud, bribery and corruption'. The HS2 project was announced in 2009 with the aim of improving rail links between the north and south of England, and boosting the economy. The project was given the go-ahead in 2012. However, costs have since ballooned even as the ambitions for the high-speed network have been scaled back. It was originally intended to include a second phase of two rail branches to Leeds and Manchester, but the former leg was dropped in 2021 while the then Conservative government axed the latter in 2023, announcing the rail line would now terminate at Birmingham. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Parliament's spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), said in February that it was a 'casebook example of how not to run a major project'. In November 2023, the government estimated the cost at £45bn to £54bn, with HS2 Ltd projecting a £54bn- £66bn bill. Both figures are based on 2019 prices. Subsequent rapid inflation means the total bill is approaching £80bn today, according to the PAC. However, there have been reports that the total cost could end up at £100bn. The government ended speculation over the eventual southern terminus by confirming that the service would indeed reach central London, rather than stopping at Old Oak Common in the capital's north-western suburbs, but the PAC said the DfT still did not have a plan for the work at Euston. According to HS2 Ltd, 75% of the tunnelling on the London-to-Birmingham line has now been completed. Separately, in September, the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands revealed plans for a new rail line linking their regions which would rely on private investment and cost less than the scrapped second phase of HS2.
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
HS2 investigating two firms supplying staff for West Midlands leg
The company building the HS2 rail line between London and Birmingham says it is investigating "allegations" about the practices of some "labour suppliers" to the Ltd is looking into two firms supplying workers to build the West Midlands section of the high-speed is understood to relate to billing for the staff supplied. The Department for Transport said it would ensure "any claims of wrongdoing in HS2's supply chain" were "thoroughly" dealt with. The existence of HS2's investigation, which began earlier this year was first reported by the i newspaper on to the paper, the matter relates to misclassification of staff and claims that inflated rates were being charged for is understood the two firms being looked at were providing workers to Balfour Beatty Vinci, one of HS2's contractors. A HS2 spokesperson said it treated "all whistleblower allegations seriously", adding that Balfour Beatty Vinci "had implemented additional monitoring and controls".It is understood one of the labour suppliers remains suspended from new contracts while inquiries continue. A Department for Transport spokesman said the government and HS2 "take all whistleblower allegations extremely seriously and have a zero-tolerance attitude towards fraud, bribery, and corruption"."We will therefore ensure any claims of wrongdoing in HS2's supply chain are thoroughly investigated."The police and HMRC are not believed to be involved. Work is currently under way to build the nearly 140-mile high-speed line between London and the West HS2 project was announced in 2009 to boost capacity on England's north-south rail links, aiming to reduce journey times, create jobs and boost the UK original plan was to build the line in two phases - with the first connecting London and Birmingham and the second adding two branches to Manchester and Leeds. But the project has suffered various setbacks and spiralling costs since it was announced and the decision was taken by the last Conservative government to scrap the second phase. The Labour government has said it will not reinstate of the work London-Birmingham section has been completed - with more than 75% of tunnelling complete, according to HS2 the mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands have revealed plans for a new rail line linking their regions which would rely on private investment and cost less than the scrapped northern leg of HS2. Official estimates of how much HS2 will cost have changed several times over the October, the government announced that ministers would take a direct role in overseeing the building of the line to try to "get a grip" on rising government previously said costs had soared because of factors including "poor project management, inflation and poor performance from the supply chain".In 2012 it was estimated that HS2 Phase 1 (London to Birmingham) would cost £20.5bn (at 2019 prices). The government's most recent estimate of the overall cost is between £45bn and £54bn at 2019 prices - but HS2 management have estimated the figure to be more like £49bn to £ to a House of Commons research briefing, cost increases have been driven "by high inflation, as well as scope changes, worse ground conditions than expected and optimism bias".
