Delays and rising costs hit HS2

The HS2 high-speed rail programme has suffered another major blow with the news that the first phase will be delayed by up to five years amid rising costs.

The new link between London and Birmingham was due to open at the end of 2026. However, trains will not now run on the line until 2028 at the earliest and possibly not until 2031.

And the second phase, linking the route to Manchester and Leeds, has been pushed back to 2035-2040, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has revealed.

HS2’s total cost has also risen from £62bn to between £81bn and £88bn. The revelation of the price hike and delays comes after an announcement that there will be a government review into the massive infrastructure project.