Transport secretary to reveal damning reports as HS2 timeline slips and costs spiral once more.

The UK’s long-troubled high-speed rail project, HS2, is now officially facing yet another delay — this time beyond its already extended target of 2033, the BBC has learned. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is expected to confirm the delay to Parliament on Wednesday, admitting there is “no reasonable way” to deliver the project on time or within budget.

Alexander is set to unveil the findings of two major reviews that expose deep-rooted failures in project management, poor oversight, and cost escalation. Though she is not expected to announce a new opening date, the implication is clear: HS2’s launch is slipping into the unknown.

In a scathing indictment of previous administrations, Alexander will blame Conservative governments for presiding over a £37 billion increase in costs since 2012, when HS2 was first approved. She will describe a “litany of failure” that plagued the scheme, contributing to repeated delays and spiralling spending.

The reviews — one led by former Crossrail chief James Stewart and another by current HS2 CEO Mark Wild — are expected to reveal systemic mismanagement and inadequate cost controls. Stewart’s investigation focused on the wider governance of major transport infrastructure, while Wild assessed the troubled first phase of the railway, linking London to Birmingham.

To mark a new chapter, Alexander is expected to appoint Mike Brown, ex-commissioner of Transport for London, as the new chair of HS2 Ltd. The move is part of her broader effort to “draw a line in the sand” and re-establish public trust in how large-scale infrastructure is delivered.

HS2 was initially championed as a transformative project linking London with Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds. Originally expected to cost £33 billion and open by 2026, the line has seen both its scope and timetable collapse under the weight of technical and political pressure.

By 2013, its estimated cost had ballooned to £50 billion. By 2020, when then-prime minister Boris Johnson recommitted to HS2, an independent forecast warned the eventual cost could soar as high as £106 billion.

The eastern leg from Birmingham to Leeds was first to be axed, followed by Rishi Sunak’s dramatic cancellation of the Birmingham-Manchester section in 2023. Only the core London-Birmingham route remains, and even that is now years behind schedule and under financial strain.

Despite attempts to contain the budget, the Department for Transport last year estimated remaining costs between £45bn and £54bn at 2019 prices. HS2 Ltd itself warned the figure could hit £57bn — and that was before inflation and construction complications were fully factored in.

HS2 has become a political and economic headache, symbolising both ambition and dysfunction in equal measure. While backers still claim it could boost rail capacity, cut journey times, and regenerate regional economies, critics argue it has become a monument to waste.

Alexander’s announcement, while expected, will do little to quiet growing scepticism about the project’s future. Her decision to confront the project’s failures head-on suggests a political shift in tone — but whether it results in actual delivery remains an open question.

SKY NEWS

The UK government will announce yet another delay to HS2, confirming the London-Birmingham line will not open by 2033. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will cite a “litany of failure” under Conservative leadership, accusing them of wasting billions through scope changes, poor contracts, and bad management. She is expected to warn that subcontractor fraud may have occurred and that consequences will follow. Two reviews into HS2 will be published alongside her statement. Approved in 2012 to enhance connectivity and reduce journey times, HS2 was initially scheduled to be operational by 2026. However, spiralling costs and mismanagement led Boris Johnson to cancel the Leeds leg in 2021, with Rishi Sunak later axing the Manchester phase in 2023. The current estimated cost is £49bn–£56.6bn (2019 prices), far above the original £37.5bn (2009 prices). Alexander will promise to “sort out” the “appalling mess.” A new target opening date has not been set, further fuelling doubts about the project’s future viability.

THE GUARDIAN

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander will tell MPs the Conservatives wasted billions on HS2 through mismanagement, poorly negotiated contracts, and constant design changes. Reviews by James Stewart and Mark Wild found that contracts were signed despite warnings, and costly plans like Euston station redesigns—later scrapped—wasted over £250m. £2bn was also spent on the now-cancelled Birmingham-Manchester leg. Project costs have ballooned from £20bn in 2012 to a projected £100bn today. Alexander will condemn the “appalling mess” and vow to investigate contractor fraud allegations, warning of “consequences.” Despite the chaos, she pledges to reset the project. Mike Brown, former TfL commissioner, will replace Jon Thompson as HS2 Ltd chair to help salvage the scheme. The Northern Leg Task Force, announced by Rishi Sunak, never convened. Wild’s review outlines a cost-cutting reset, though the opening of the reduced London-Birmingham line will likely be pushed further into the 2030s. A Labour source branded it a “comedy of errors” caused by Tory political indecision and oversight failure.