Authorities ‘dedicated’ to HS2 after watchdog charges undertaking as ‘unachievable’

HS2 has been rated as “unachievable” as a part of an annual report from a authorities watchdog.

The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) gave the primary two phases of the rail hyperlink – from London to Birmingham, and from Birmingham to Crewe, a “red” score, saying the entire plan could must be “reassessed”. Both legs have confronted a collection of delays.

The undertaking has been hit by ever-increasing prices – with estimates rising from £33bn in 2010 to not less than £71bn.

The preliminary opening date of 2026 has fallen again to 2033, with the road probably not reaching Manchester till 2040.

The authorities introduced additional delays to HS2 earlier this 12 months in an effort to “balance the books” after inflation hit the price of supplies.

But evaluation solely leaked to Sky News confirmed the two-year pause in works would find yourself being three-and-a-half years, and was more likely to price the taxpayer not less than £366m.

In its report, the IPA mentioned: “Successful delivery of [HS2] appears to be unachievable.”

The watchdog added there have been “major issues with project definition, schedule, budget, quality and/or benefits delivery, which at this stage do not appear to be manageable or resolvable”.

As a outcome, it mentioned the undertaking “may need re-scoping and/or its overall viability reassessed”.

This newest criticism is available in the identical month that HS2 Ltd’s chief govt, Mark Thurston, introduced he could be resigning from his submit in September.

A Department for Transport spokesman mentioned: “Spades are already in the ground on HS2, with 350 construction sites, over £20bn invested to date and supporting over 28,500 jobs.

“We stay dedicated to delivering HS2 in essentially the most cost-effective manner for taxpayers.

“HS2 will bring transformational benefits for generations to come, improving connections and helping grow the economy.”