HS2's structures should have been ‘largely completed' by now
Notice to proceed was granted by the government in April 2020.
Mr Wild blamed cost overruns on the awarding of contracts which meant the government held all the risk in case of problems, and failings of HS2 Ltd.
He said the coronavirus pandemic and the rise in inflation caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine had also had an impact.
Phase One of HS2 between London and Birmingham was initially planned to open by the end of 2026.
This was later pushed back to between 2029 and 2033, but Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said last month there was 'no route' to meeting that timeframe.
HS2 workers gather to observe boring machine Mary Ann breaking through at Washwood Heath depot near Birmingham city centre (Jacob King/PA)
In 2013, HS2 was estimated to cost £37.5 billion (at 2009 prices) for the entire planned network, including the now-scrapped extensions from Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds.
In June last year, HS2 Ltd assessed the cost for the line between London and Birmingham would be up to £66 billion.
Mr Wild, who was appointed late last year, told the Commons Transport Select Committee: 'The construction of the civil engineering should have been largely completed by now.
'The reality is we're about 60% complete.'
He added: 'The whole scheme, which includes, of course, the tracks, the overhead lines, the trains, the system integration, we're about a third complete.'
Mr Wild described the project as 'a unique challenge in this country'.
He went on: 'A third of this route is actually underground or in cuttings.
'This is a huge, considerable, maybe the biggest civil engineering project ever undertaken in this country.
'The facts are, in the first two years of effort, we simply didn't make enough progress.'
Rail minister Lord Hendy, who also gave evidence to the committee, said he could not 'make a case' for why permission to start construction was granted when it was as the need for HS2 was not 'desperate'.
He told MPs: 'We need relief of the West Coast Main Line, and a new railway is the right answer.
'But why it was pursued with such speed – and now we're suffering the cost of it – is hard to say.'
Lord Hendy went on to say it was unclear why it was decided HS2 should be an 'exceptionally fast railway, rather than just a fast railway'.
The design speed for HS2 tracks is 400km/h (250mph), and the trains will have a maximum speed of 360km/h (225mph).
Lord Hendy noted that Eurostar trains are permitted to run at up to 300km/h (185mph) on HS1, which connects London St Pancras and the Channel Tunnel.
He said: 'It is hard to understand why there was such zealotry (with HS2) about the highest-speed railway in a relatively small country, when the origination of it was to relieve capacity.'
HS2's speed has been blamed for inflating costs and increasing the complexity of designs.
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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Giant tunnelling machine is lifted to the surface after finishing HS2 tunnels (no wonder it's costing so much)
A giant tunnelling machine has been lifted to the surface after finishing work on a HS2 tunnel - and no wonder the project is costing so much. The huge metal device has spent more than a year underground working on sections of the new high-speed rail network beneath the capital, finishing its project in June. The so-called tunnel boring machine (TBM), named Emily, had been tasked with a 3.4-mile drive, starting at Victoria Road in the west London borough of North Acton. It has now resurfaced as of Saturday, at its final destination of Green Park Way in the town of Greenford in neighbouring borough Ealing. Since launching in February last year, it has completed one bore of the eastern section of the Northolt Tunnel, the second longest on the HS2 network at 8.4 miles. It has removed 775,000 tonnes of clay and installed 17,514 tunnel segments in the passage, which stretches from Ealing to neighbouring borough Hillingdon. Emily - weighing a huge 1,700 tonnes with a 9.11m diameter - is the third of four machines to work on the tunnel, with the final one expected to finish later this year. But such enormous machines carry a hefty price tag - the entire network could end up costing as much as £80billion to build. Shocking pictures show the device dwarfing the workmen supervising its removal from the ground. Heavily reinforced ropes, hanging from a huge red metal structure, drag the machine from what appears to be an incredibly deep shaft leading down to the tunnel below. The revelation of the truly imposing size of the machinery involved in HS2, or High Speed 2, is a stark reminder of the eye-watering cost of the project. The Department for Transport's 'estimated range' for HS2's total cost in November 2023 was £45-54billion, a report by the Committee of Public Accounts published in February this year noted. The latest estimate by HS2 Ltd - the government-funded company responsible for HS2 - was £54-66billion in June last year, it added. The report concluded: 'With their competing cost estimates still in 2019 prices, then once adjusted for inflation the total programme costs might be close to £80billion.' This came just before another damning report on the cost of the project, published last month. It was discovered last month HS2 is set to be delayed for another two years as a report revealed costs for the project had increased by £37billion. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced last month the line between London and Birmingham would no longer be completed in the target time of 2033. She claimed the cost of the project shot up £37billion between 2012 and the last general election, The Telegraph reported. The minister accepted 89 recommendations from an independent review into infrastructure projects, spearheaded by former Crossrail chief executive James Stewart. Mike Brown, former Transport for London (TfL) commissioner, became the new chairman of HS2 Limited - the company in charge of the project. A damning dossier of the project's shortcomings said the previous government spent £2billion on the original network between Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds before scrapping it. After the Birmingham to Leeds and Birmingham to Manchester legs were scrapped in 2021 and 2023 respectively, HS2 will now just connect London and Birmingham. More than £250million was spent by HS2 Ltd on failed designs for a new station at Euston by HS2 Ltd, the report also revealed. The company was reportedly asked to provide a cheaper alternative but ended up nearly doubling the price in the second design. A HS2 statement said Emily got through around 38 metres of the Northolt Tunnel each day 'at peak production'. Had this pace been consistently maintained, the 3.4-mile route would have been completed in just over 140 days, or nearly five months. Emily has in fact been working for 14 months. The machine was manned by three teams of 48 working round the clock to dig the tunnel before lining it with concrete segments weighing up to seven tonnes each. It came after two other TBMs, named Sushila and Caroline, worked on the western section of the tunnel from the West Ruislip area of Hillingdon. Sushila and Caroline's drives were completed in December 2024 and April 2025 respectively. The final machine, still working, will complete the work Emily started on the eastern end of the passage this summer. Some 34 cross passages between the eastern and western bores will then be finished, before a flat surface is laid on the tunnel's base for tracks to be laid on. Tunnel shafts for ventilation and emergency access will finish off the Northolt Tunnel project. This passage will eventually take HS2's new high-speed trains from the outskirts of London to the new Old Oak Common station in west London. All four devices finish at Green Park Way, lifted out of the ground like Emily. It comes after Mary Ann, the first of two machines excavating the Bromford Tunnel from Warwickshire to Birmingham, finished work in early May. The 3.5-mile passage stretches from the village of Water Orton to the West Midlands city's Washwood Heath area. HS2 project client director Malcolm Codling said of the completion of Emily's work: 'HS2's tunnelling drives in London for the Northolt Tunnel are nearing completion and it is a real achievement for our team to complete this 3.4-mile section on the tunnel safely and with such efficiency. 'There is still much more to do in the tunnel to get it HS2 ready and we will be focusing on productivity to continue with our work safely to get the HS2 route in London ready for track to be laid, and systems installed.' Emily's work was completed by HS2's London Tunnels contractor Skanska Costain STRABAG JV (SCS JV). The firm's tunnels and routeway project director, Dave Hannon, said: 'The arrival of TBM Emily at Green Park Way marks a significant milestone in the programme. 'We are now approaching completion of the Northolt Tunnel - an exciting achievement and a testament to the collaboration, dedication, and technical capabilities of our teams. 'With our continued focus we are pressing ahead at pace to complete the remaining works, including cross passages, tunnel walkways, ventilation shafts, headhouses, and portals, as we deliver on part of the HS2 project.' Teams manning Emily removed the clay from the ground on a conveyor belt. The excavated soil has since been reused on sites in Cambridgeshire, Kent and Warwickshire, where it was transported by train. Emily was made by world-leading tunnelling experts, German firm Herrenknecht. This latest machine to finish was named Emily after Emily Sophia Taylor, who established Ealing's Perivale Maternity Hospital in 1937. She became the borough's first female mayor a year later. HS2, or High Speed 2, was proposed in 2009 to build a high-speed railway to connect London, the Midlands and the north of England. The project was announced in 2010 by then Conservative Transport Secretary Philip Hammond. But ever since it has been beset by controversy amid ballooning costs. It was originally divided into phase one, from London to Birmingham; phase 2A, from Birmingham to Crewe; and phase 2B, from Crewe to Manchester. The network will now just connect London and Birmingham. And a particularly bizarre element of the works included spending £100million on a tunnel for bats. This is despite there being 'no evidence' the trains will interfere with the mammals, ex-HS2 chairman Sir Jon Thompson said. He claimed this is an example of the UK's 'genuine problem' with completing major infrastructure projects. The company also came under fire when £20,000 was spent on a model station made out of Lego. The company spent the equivalent of £1 per plastic brick - and used it at 20 events in two years. The toys were used to recreate a planned site to help inform communities, businesses and the public about a new train station. The Lego version turned out to be roughly the size of a kitchen table, and consultants Bricks McGee were paid to construct it. In June, a whistleblower who lost his job after accusing HS2 executives of fraud over the true cost of the project won more than £300,000 in compensation. Risk management expert Stephen Cresswell repeatedly raised concerns that the cost of the high speed rail line - which could end up landing the taxpayer with a bill of more than £80billion - was being 'actively misrepresented'. The consultant was told by one HS2 executive to 'disregard' scenarios he had prepared which forecast a 'significant' increase in the price to the public, an employment tribunal heard. As a result, Mr Cresswell warned he found himself in a 'very uncomfortable position' of having a 'very different' view to the high speed rail line company's 'documented position'. The tribunal heard that in a meeting with bosses he said 'fraud had been committed because he understood fraud to be making false statement so as to secure a benefit'. After losing his job, Mr Cresswell took HS2 to an employment tribunal, claiming he had his contract terminated and been denied other work as a result of blowing the whistle. After the rail firm admitted that he had not given adequate levels of protection following his disclosures he has now been awarded £319,070 in damages. In response, campaigners said it was not to late for Labour to consider scrapping high speed rail over years of 'catastrophic mishandling'. HS2 Ltd previously said investigations into Mr Cresswell's claims found no evidence of fraud or illegal activity. 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A HS2 Ltd spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Emily achieved a peak production rate of around 38 metres per day during her journey beneath London. 'However, this rate reflects the machine's performance during optimal conditions and does not account for the full range of operational factors that determine overall tunnelling progress. 'In practice, the speed of a tunnelling operation is influenced by several variables, including ground conditions, maintenance requirements, logistics, and the careful set-up and commissioning phases at the start of the drive. 'These all contribute to the total time taken to complete a tunnel section. 'TBM Emily's tunnel drive was completed safely and successfully over 14 months, delivering a vital section of the HS2 route that will help to improve rail capacity and connectivity across the country.' 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Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Charming English town is getting new £42million train station that will reopen key link shut for over 60 years
BACK ON TRACK Charming English town is getting new £42million train station that will reopen key link shut for over 60 years Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A RURAL English town has been given the green light for a new £42million train station that will reopen a vital link. After more than 60 years without a railway station, Cullompton has been granted funding by the Department of Transport and HM Treasury. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Cullompton has been given the green light for a new £42million train station Credit: Alamy 2 The new station will also be next to the motorway services at Junction 28 of the M5 Credit: Alamy The announcement is set to turbo-charge the economy of the Devon town and provide desperately needed transport links for locals and visitors. The funding will also help to support plans for a new station in Wellington. Cullompton station first opened in 1844 and closed in 1964. The reopening will be key to enabling the Culm Garden Village development, which will create around 5,000 homes. The new station will also be next to the motorway services at Junction 28 of the M5. Councillor Jacqi Hodgson, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Biodiversity, said: 'Further investment in rail infrastructure in Devon is always welcome and this railway station for Cullompton is key to the town's economic growth and will help reduce carbon emissions in the county. "People need improved public transport options if they're going to be encouraged to change their travel habits. "Hopefully Cullompton could follow the success of Okehampton Station and the re-opening of the Dartmoor Line, which is a great example of what can be achieved given the necessary funding from government.' In April, a delegation of 30 people from the region travelled to London to hand-deliver powerful letters of support to rail minister Lord Hendy. Backed by a cross-party group of South West MPs and Wellington Town Council, the letters stressed how restoring rail links to both Okehampton and nearby Wellington could unlock major economic, social and environmental benefits. Lord Hendy said: 'The stations would contribute to sustainable development, connecting new residential areas with regional employment, education and healthcare opportunities. "The case for taking a combined approach presents significantly higher value for money compared with a stand-alone project in either area.' He added: 'Reopening Cullompton and Wellington stations would be a strategic investment aligning with the Government's goals to drive economic growth, reduce environmental impact and improve social mobility.' Economic growth Gideon Amos, who also backed the scheme, said: 'For the cost of around £42 million, £180 million of economic growth would go into the region — which I know the Government would want to see. 'Frankly, there is no other rail project in the south-west that is ready to go and could be built and completed in the next two years, as the project is so far advanced. 'In fact, had it not been for the review in July last year, the spades would be in the ground and the platforms under construction, because the contract was about to be let and the detailed design was almost finished.' And Labour MP Simon Lightwood added in the Commons: 'The strategic objectives are clear. "Enhancing public transport connectivity will support growth and productivity in Exeter, Taunton and Bridgwater, while also reducing road congestion, car dependency and carbon emissions.' He continued: 'The stations would contribute to sustainable development, connecting new residential areas with regional employment, education and healthcare opportunities." This comes as satellite images of a new £15million train station at Okehampton were revealed. The station, which will be the newest addition to the Dartmoor Line, connecting West Devon, Torridge and North Cornwall with Exeter and beyond, will also benefit education and leisure services in the region. GWR Regional Growth Manager David Whiteway said the project would provide "valuable support for the community and local economies". Satellite images show the rapid development of the £15million scheme, which is being funded by the Department for Transport with contributions from Devon County Council and West Devon Borough Council. Since work began in January, major progress has been made to create the new station on the edge of Okehampton, two minutes from the A30. In March, 300 metres of the single-line track was moved 90cm north to allow a new platform to be built alongside it.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- The Guardian
Nigel Farage says Reform would spend over £17bn to halve UK crime
Nigel Farage has committed to spending more than £17bn on policies to halve crime in the UK if he becomes prime minister at the next election. The Reform UK leader said his proposals, which include constructing five ad-hoc 'Nightingale' prisons and deporting more than 10,000 foreign criminals, would be paid for by scrapping HS2 and net zero. At a press conference in London, Farage pledged to force councils run by Reform to host new prisons 'if they're the right locations' and to recruit a 'higher and physically tougher' standard of police officers. A three-page document published by Reform said the total estimated cost of its crime and justice policies was £3.48bn annually, with £2.1bn a year spent recruiting 30,000 more officers and £1bn on creating 12,400 prison places. Other pledges include spending £250m a year on renting prison places abroad in countries such as El Salvador and Estonia, and £80m a year on creating 100 pop-up custody centres in crime hotspots to speed up arrests. Asked how his party would fund these commitments, Farage said: 'We are advocating cutting huge amounts of public spending, starting with the utterly failed, abysmal HS2 project, which the government is quite happy to spend £50bn to £70bn more on over the course of the next few years. And we've talking about the cost of net zero.' Farage said successive home secretaries had contributed to a deterioration in public trust over crime and created conditions that were 'nothing short of societal collapse'. 'People are scared of going to the shops. Scared to let their kids out. That is a society that is degraded. And it's happening very, very rapidly,' he said. Defending people who had joined violent demonstrations outside an asylum hotel in Essex, he said: 'I don't think anybody in London even understands just how close we are to civil disobedience.' Farage used the press conference to pledge that his party would be the 'toughest party on law and order and on crime that this country has ever seen'. 'We will aim to cut crime by half in the first five years of Reform government. We will take back control of our streets. We will take back control of our courts, of our prisons,' he said. 'If you're a criminal, I am putting you on notice today that from 2029 or whenever that may be, either you obey the law or you will face very serious justice.' Farage revealed he was 'in conversation with Edi Rama', the Albanian prime minister, over sending prisoners there but admitted he had not spoken to the government in El Salvador. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Asked about El Salvador's human rights record and overcrowded prisons, Farage appeared to backtrack slightly from the plan. 'People will be tried in this country and El Salvador may be quite an extreme example. But the idea that we could send prisoners to Kosovo, to Estonia is a very, very serious proposal,' he said. Asked about his past defence of James McMurdock, who was elected as a Reform MP despite having a previous conviction for assaulting a girlfriend by repeatedly kicking her, he said: 'The reason that I did defend then as strongly as I did, he was a very good case for somebody who had rehabilitated, who had gone on to live a constructive life, when so many young lads from his part of the world, after their first brush with the law, go on to spend the next 40 years in prison … Do we believe there should be rehabilitation? Absolutely we do.' McMurdock gave up the Reform whip earlier this month amid questions over his eligibility for £70,000 in bounce-back loans he took out during the pandemic.
