UK’s HS2 high-speed rail link faces new delays, deemed ‘appalling mess’
Troubled high-speed railway line connecting London to Birmingham to be delayed beyond 2033
Britain’s transport secretary on Wednesday announced further delays to the country’s new high-speed HS2 train line, describing the project as an “appalling mess” amid soaring costs.
The high-speed rail track between London and Birmingham will no longer be delivered by the planned 2033 target, despite the project already being scaled back due to repeated delays and spiralling costs.
“Billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money has been wasted by constant scope changes, ineffective contracts and bad management,” Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told parliament.
She pledged “we will sort it out”, without specifying an updated timeline.
Britain’s Labour Party, which came to power in July, has pinned its hopes on big spending on infrastructure to boost sluggish economic growth.
High Speed 2 would be Britain’s second such fast track, after the line that carries Eurostar trains from London to the Channel Tunnel and onwards to France.