HS2 failings blamed on high-speed focus and political pressure

"A review is expected to find that the HS2 rail line failed due in part to a focus on achieving the highest possible speeds and political pressure. The scheme has been undergoing a “reset”, and in March Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander asked HS2 bosses to look at lowering top speeds to save money. This latest report into HS2, expected to be published this week, is authored by former National Security Adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove and has considered the implications for the civil service and public sector."

"Its findings are expected to agree with a previous review that HS2's so-called “original sins” included changing political priorities and ballooning costs. The review is also expected to highlight the “gold-plating” of the high-speed concept, “resulting in [a] bespoke and highly engineered design”. In the coming days, Alexander is expected to confirm that trains won't start running by the current target date of 2033 and will also provide an updated price tag for the project."

"HS2's main purpose was to increase capacity on the rail network but it has suffered rising costs and delays. Under the initial plans, first confirmed in 2012, the rail line would have run from London to Birmingham, and then on two separate lines to Leeds and Manchester. However, in 2021, the government said it was cancelling the eastern leg going to Leeds. Two years later, the section between Manchester and Birmingham was also ditched."

"In June 2025, Alexander said that after “a litany of failure” she was “drawing a line in the sand” and the government would get HS2 delivered. Mark Wild, chief executive of the project's delivery company HS2 Ltd, was tasked with carrying out comprehensive “reset”. Earlier this year the transport secretary said she was “determined to explore every opportunity” to “bring down costs and delivery timetables” includ"

A review expected to be published soon is expected to find that HS2’s problems included an emphasis on achieving the highest possible speeds alongside political pressure. The scheme has been undergoing a “reset,” and the transport secretary asked HS2 leadership to consider lowering top speeds to save money. The review is expected to align with earlier findings that “original sins” involved changing political priorities and ballooning costs. It is also expected to identify “gold-plating” that produced a bespoke, highly engineered design. The government is expected to confirm that trains will not start by 2033 and to update the project’s cost estimate, which is widely expected to exceed £100bn. The project’s capacity goal has been undermined by rising costs and delays, alongside cancellations of planned route sections.

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