Stories

Tue, 19 May 2026

Tue, 19 May 2026 Faisal Islam: Why a full HS2 line could still be built despite the latest fiasco

The Transport Secretary has said the high-speed rail line will not be completed until 2039.

* HS2's original plans were cancelled or scaled back, leaving a line that will only connect west London with Birmingham by 2037.
* The estimated cost of cancellation and remediation is around £60bn, adding to the project's total cost of £100bn.
* The line was originally intended to bring growth and investment to northern England, but now stops at Birmingham and faces delays and reduced speed on the connection to the West Coast Main Line (WCML).
* HS2 trains will not be able to tilt around the WCML's bends, resulting in slower speeds (110mph) compared to existing Avanti pendolinos (125mph).
* The project is in crisis mode, with the government considering using HS2's legal powers and route in central Manchester for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
* Completing the line from Birmingham to Manchester Airport could provide maximum benefit at minimum cost, as land costs are lower and fewer tunnels and verges would be needed.
* The UK government wants to learn lessons from HS2's overspecification and costly mistakes, but it will have been an expensive way to do so.