HS2 has been reshaped, delayed, and rebranded. But in Birmingham, disruption remains and delivery is slow. Richard Gullick reports on the current status of the project and what happens next.
00:01HS2 was meant to connect the country, a high-speed rail link from London to Birmingham and beyond.
00:07But five years into construction, what Birmingham has is dust, diversions and a project that's one-third finished and years behind schedule.
00:16The latest admission came in June when the Transport Minister confirmed what many had guessed, the line won't open by 2033.
00:24The new target sometime in the mid-2030s if nothing else slips. Even that looks shaky, HS2 Ltd says only a third of Phase 1 is complete.
00:34Civil works like tunnels and bridges are further along, about 60% done.
00:39But no track is laid, no systems installed, no testing underway and billions have already been spent.
00:45The biggest milestone so far is the Bromford Tunnel Breakthrough. One boring machine made it, the other still digging but tunnelling is just the start.
00:53The real work of fitting the tunnel for rail has barely begun.
00:57Meanwhile Curzon Street Station has foundations down, but no structure.
01:02The fit-out phase won't start until like 2025. Trains won't run until the 2030s, possibly.
01:08Local disruption is growing. The Cross City Line has shut down for Voiduct Works this summer.
01:13Roads are blocked, transport is patchy and residents are fed up.
01:17A reset is underway. Mark Wald now leads HS2 Ltd. Mike Brown chairs the board.
01:23They're promising tighter oversight, new cost controls and better sequencing.
01:27But an HMRC fraud probe casts fresh doubt on governance.
01:32As glossy PR campaigns unveil sleek trine interiors, the facts remain there's no railway yet, just groundwork, delights and a city waiting for answers.
01:44The change in the future.
01:45The change in the future is changing the world to embrace.
01:49The change in the future is changing up and new for now.
01:54It doesn't have long, you know, if you're not here to apply too.
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