Ten years after first following the proposed route of HS2, a journalist has retraced their steps to document the impact of the world's most expensive and heavily delayed railway line. The high-speed rail project, initially promised to be completed by 2026, has faced repeated setbacks. The official finish date of 2033 has recently been revised upwards, with informed observers now suggesting services may not begin until the 2040s.
The cost of HS2 has spiralled catastrophically. While HS1, the line from the Channel Tunnel to St Pancras, cost approximately £100 million per mile, HS2 may cost nearly £1 billion per mile. Construction formally began in 2020, and the line is being built by HS2 Ltd, a government-owned company funded entirely by taxpayers' money.
Walking the route from West Ruislip, the journalist noted both positive and negative impacts. HS2 Ltd has provided minibuses for schoolchildren, scattered rock-salt on cycle tracks, bought Christmas trees for affected villages, built otter holts, and added catering facilities to village halls. However, some residents report that the company has refused to pay market rates for properties and has not promptly or fully compensated small businesses. HS2 Ltd stated it aims to offer 'fair and timely compensation' while considering cost to the taxpayer.
The project involves 52 major viaducts and five tunnels, with extensive enabling works including tree removal and road rerouting. One engineer described HS2 as 'a road project with a train in the middle of it'. The line cuts through densely populated areas, requiring complex engineering solutions to navigate southern England's intricate network of roads, rivers, railways, and wetlands.
