HS2 could cost more than £100 billion and may not open until 2039, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has announced. The Cabinet minister told the Commons she was “angry” about the “obscene increase in time and costs”, which she blamed on “the failures of successive Conservative governments”.
She said the expected cost of completing the high-speed railway was between £87.7 billion and £102.7 billion (in 2025 prices). Constructing the line from London to Birmingham – plus the now abandoned onward legs to Leeds and Manchester – was initially estimated to cost £32.7 billion (in 2011 prices), but the budget has spiralled.
Services were planned to launch in 2026, but the new target schedule is between May 2036 and October 2039. Alexander expressed her frustration, stating that the delays and cost increases are unacceptable. She reiterated that the government remains committed to the project, which aims to improve connectivity and reduce travel times between major cities.
The announcement has drawn criticism from opposition MPs, who argue that the project has been mismanaged for years. However, the Transport Secretary insists that the current government is taking steps to bring the project under control and deliver value for money for taxpayers.
