00:00HS2 was once pitched as a national priority, a high-speed line to close the gap between London and the Midlands,
00:09faster journeys, more capacity and a signal that the country was thinking global term.
00:15But the latest update confirms what many suspected, Birmingham won't see a completed line before 2033
00:21and even that feels less like a promise and more like a placeholder.
00:25It's the latest chapter in a project better known for what it hasn't delivered,
00:29what started with glossy brochures and grand speeches has now become a symbol of drift.
00:34The cost? Over £100bn and counting, more than three times the original budget
00:40and while the spending rises, the track doesn't.
00:43Government blames inflation, supply chains and engineering complexity.
00:47Critics point to weaker oversight, bloated contracts and a leadership structure
00:52that's seen more reshuffles than a bad cabinet.
00:55Here in the Midlands the knock-on effects are real.
00:57While businesses planned for growth, local councils greenlit developments around the supposed arrival,
01:03thousands of jobs and apprenticeships were tied to a timetable that continues to slide further into the future.
01:10Ministers now say changes are underway, a new chair, fresh reviews and another round of lessons learnt.
01:17But confidence isn't restored by committee and for people here.
01:21It's hard to ignore the feeling that once again London gets the decisions and the Midlands gets the delays.
01:27HS2 was meant to close the gap, instead it's become a £100bn reminder that in British infrastructure,
01:34arrival times are always subject to change.
01:41Only one step in front with the incoming point of Flug.
01:44I'm going to go to the office in the middle of an country.
01:46It's been a tough train of picking up with the midlands.
01:47I'm going to move over, my friends.
01:49It's been a three-hour journey.
01:51I'm going to play.
01:52And I'm going to start.
01:53I'm going to open.
01:54I'm going to be able to make a look at theARA Bridge.
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