HS2 Rail Project Faces Delays and Cost Overruns Amid Local Opposition
HS2 is a 140-mile high-speed rail line under construction, connecting London and Birmingham, with earlier plans for extensions to Leeds and Manchester. As of 2025, construction is ongoing, but the completion date has been postponed from 2026 to 2033.
The project has experienced significant changes and cutbacks. The Leeds leg was cancelled in 2021, and the Birmingham–Manchester leg was scrapped in 2023. Speeds have been revised downward to around 225 mph, with the project's focus shifting to increasing capacity rather than high-speed travel.
Cost remains a major concern, with the projected total expense nearing £1 billion per mile, making HS2 one of the most expensive railways. By comparison, HS1 cost about £51 million per mile in 2020 prices.
Construction progress includes roughly 70% of earthworks completed by the end of 2025, with civil engineering works expected to finish in about four years. Subsequent phases will involve track laying, electrics, signalling, and trains.
The route features 52 major viaducts and five tunnels totaling over 40 miles, including the 2.1-mile Colne Valley viaduct near Harefield. Environmental mitigation measures are significant, involving moving 3 million tonnes of chalk from the Chilterns tunnel and creating a 127-hectare chalk grassland habitat with ponds, and features for kingfishers, water voles, and otters.
Infrastructure includes a six-metre-wide contractor access road running alongside much of the route, which has cost an estimated £200–£300 million and is expected to be removed after construction. A four-mile Waddesdon Greenway path opened in 2018.
Local residents have reported substantial disruption, raising concerns about compensation terms. There are claims that HS2 negotiators do not pay market rates for land, which is often taken under 'temporary possession' for extended periods.
HS2 Ltd, the company managing the project, is government owned and fully funded by taxpayers. Despite widespread public skepticism, the project retains cross-party political support.
