The opening of Britain’s flagship high-speed rail link is set to drift beyond the already-revised target of 2033, senior government sources indicate. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will tell MPs that the current schedule and budget are simply unattainable, though she is unlikely to commit to a new start-date. Her statement will draw on two hard-hitting investigations that catalogue missed milestones and rampant cost overruns.
The first inquiry, led by former Crossrail boss James Stewart, paints a picture of managerial drift, opaque oversight and an initial £37 billion cost hike under successive Conservative administrations. A second probe by HS2’s chief executive Mark Wild zeroes in on the London-to-Birmingham section, exposing further slippage and inflationary pressures. Together, the reports are intended to “draw a line” under past errors and establish new rules for delivering major infrastructure.
HS2 was conceived to slash journey times between London, the Midlands and the North while boosting rail capacity. Approved in 2012 at a projected £33 billion and an opening year of 2026, the venture has steadily ballooned: official estimates now hover around £57 billion, while some independent assessments soar past £100 billion. Along the way, the eastern branch to Leeds was abandoned, followed last year by the Birmingham–Manchester leg.
Alexander is expected to confirm the appointment of former Transport for London commissioner Mike Brown as HS2 Ltd’s new chair, tasked with rescuing the project’s reputation and resetting its finances.
