HS2 reset throws Birmingham completion date into doubt

National World - LocalTV

HS2 has hit the reset button. As construction continues at Birmingham’s Curzon Street station, the new CEO admits the project is off track. With no confirmed date for when services to London will begin, we explore what the reset means for the city.

Transcript

00:01The skeleton of Birmingham's HS2 station is starting to rise, but behind the hoardings, the entire project is being stripped down and rethought.

00:11The new CEO, Mark Weil, says it's time for a full reset.

00:16That means a forensic review of the costs, the timelines and what's realistically deliverable.

00:22It's not just to tidy up, HS2 has been plagued by delays, political dithering and spiralling expenses.

00:28What started as a flagship national project has become a boy word for over-ambition and under-delivery.

00:36While did mix the build hasn't gone to plan, construction has lost pace and expectations were too high from the start.

00:43This reset is meant to fix that, but it also means no one can say when trials will start running.

00:49The current goal is for services between Birmingham and Old Oak Common in West London by the early 2030s, but even that's now uncertain.

00:58There's even more doubt over Euston. Tunnelling has started, but with no clear timeline for the station.

01:04Birmingham's long-promised direct link into central London hangs in the balance.

01:09Local leaders warn this uncertainty could damage investment and business confidence.

01:14Meanwhile, HS2 bosses insist progress is still being made.

01:18Construction continues and Weil says they're hitting peak productivity.

01:21But working hard and working smart are two different things.

01:26The question isn't whether HS2 looks impressive on Piper, it's whether it'll work in practice.

01:31Billions have already been spent, but no one can say exactly what we're getting or when we'll get it.

01:38HS2 was sold as a revolution in travel, but right now it's a train without a timetable.

01:43It's not that it's enough work to work with a timetable.

01:44Now they've speed up design and they've finished completely and avoided it, and it's pretty easy.

01:45Continuit 너무 well, and now you need to do everything they want defects.

01:46Hype through thousand!

01:48At only a hour period of about 10 hours, but ten hours, it's quite basic important.

01:51unfortunate uncertainty.

01:52That's a lot of related stopping by…

01:54…with a timetable, but again lightly times 158 times…

01:55…with a timetable, but less heavy and less unsorpecting.

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