HS2 project needs ‘fundamental reset’ says boss

The HS2 project is in a "very serious situation" and needs a "fundamental reset", the new boss of the the high-speed railway company has warned.

Transcript

00:00The HS2 project is in a very serious situation and needs a fundamental reset, the new boss of

00:06the high-speed railway company has warned. Mark Wilde, chief executive of HS2 Ltd,

00:13said that he is committed to ensuring the railway opens safely and efficiently.

00:18His comments come after HS2 Ltd published an update outlining the process in building

00:24the 140-mile line between London and the West Midlands.

00:29The government's last estimate of the overall cost of the remaining Birmingham to London stretch

00:34is between £45 billion to £54 billion. HS2 started as a labour project announced in 2009,

00:43it has since been hit with setbacks and soaring costs. It was originally meant to connect London

00:49with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, but the link between Birmingham and Manchester

00:54was scrapped by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in October 2023.