Stories

Tue, 19 May 2026

Tue, 19 May 2026 HS2 could cost up to £102.7bn and trains will be slower than first planned

The new cost range and train speed are being announced as a "reset" of the delayed, over-budget and vastly scaled-back project is carried out.

* HS2 project cost now estimated at £87.7bn-£102.7bn, up from previous estimate
* Trains will not start running until between 2036 and 2039, up to six years later than previously planned
* Top speed of trains reduced from 360km/h (224mph) to 320km/h to save money and reduce costs
* £44.2bn has already been spent on the project as of March 2026
* Two-thirds of cost increase due to underestimate of costs, inefficient delivery, and works being missed from original plan
* One-third of cost increase due to inflation
* New lower speed is in line with high-speed services in Europe and Japan, could save up to £2.5bn and allow project to be delivered a year earlier
* Updated timeline for start of services: trains between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street (2036-2039), full service from London Euston to Curzon Street and connection to West Coast Main Line (2040-2043)