High-speed goals and politics blamed for HS2 delays

New reports suggest that the HS2 rail project has suffered setbacks due to a focus on achieving top speeds and political pressure.

Media outlets, including the BBC, The Telegraph and The Times, say these factors are expected to feature in an upcoming review by former National Security Adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander is thought to be also set to confirm that trains will not run by the current 2033 target.

Originally designed to link London with Birmingham and beyond at a cost of £33 billion, the HS2 project is now expected to exceed £100 billion.

It comes as parliamentary scrutiny is intensifying.

The Public Accounts Committee has launched an inquiry into HS2 and Euston station, with responses open until 26 June, while the Transport Committee will hold an evidence session this Wednesday (20 June) with HS2 chief executive Mark Wild, who is overseeing a “reset” of the project.

MPs are expected to question the reset timeline, potential speed reductions, costs, and community impacts.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Following years of mismanagement, poor decisions and spiralling costs, the government has taken decisive action to reset HS2 and ensure the safe delivery of the line between Birmingham and London at the lowest reasonable cost.

“We will share an update on the reset’s progress shortly.”

HS2 Ltd was contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.

The union representing HS2 staff, TSSA, however, called for the project to remain on schedule.

General secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: “HS2 must be delivered as currently planned, with trains running by 2033, at full speed. Anything else will leave Britain in the slow lane when it comes to high-speed rail links, not just in comparison with other countries in Europe but also China.

“What we need to see now is full, unequivocal backing for HS2 from Ministers, no more tinkering and delay.”

HS2 was initially designed to increase UK rail capacity but has been hit by rising costs and repeated delays.

First confirmed in 2012, the scheme was planned to link London with Birmingham and extend to Leeds and Manchester, but the Leeds leg was cancelled in 2021 and the Birmingham to Manchester section scrapped in 2023.

In June 2025, Alexander said there was “no reasonable way to deliver” the “most expensive railway line in the world”, with plans set out to renegotiate key construction contracts to keep costs under control.

Towards the end of last year, HS2 bolstered its leadership team with six new non-executive directors, including former Bouygues UK CEO Fabienne Viala, Ruth Dunphy as chief transformation officer, and Morag Stuart as chief commercial officer.

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