The UK government has pledged to implement all recommendations from a critical review into the delivery of HS2, following a damning assessment of the project’s historic mismanagement, soaring costs and lack of oversight.
In a statement to Parliament on 18 June, UK transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the James Stewart review revealed a “litany of failure” in the handling of the high-speed rail project, with Phase 1 alone now forecast to cost £37bn more than planned and a further £2bn lost on cancelled Phase 2 works.
The review highlighted a lack of ministerial scrutiny, poor cost controls by HS2 Ltd and weak supplier incentives.
In response, the UK Department for Transport has already reinstated its HS2 taskforce, introduced tighter financial oversight, and launched a reset of the scheme under new leadership.
Mike Brown, former Transport for London (TfL) commissioner, has been appointed chair of HS2 Ltd, working alongside CEO Mark Wild.
Wild, who led the turnaround of TfL’s Elizabeth line, has been tasked with re-evaluating costs, delivery schedules and supply chain arrangements.
An initial assessment from Wild found that HS2 is unsustainable in its current form and cannot meet its previous 2033 deadline without further reform.
Despite the challenges, HS2 continues to support more than 33,000 jobs and over 3,400 UK businesses, with infrastructure including 44 miles of tunnels and the 2.1-mile Colne Valley Viaduct already completed.
