HS2 will ‘prove its worth’, boss Mark Wild says
HS2 will “prove its worth”, the boss of the company building the high-speed railway has claimed.
Mark Wild, chief executive of HS2, said the project has “great value, intrinsic value”.
He made the comments days after an influential group of MPs described HS2 as an example of “how not to run a major project”.
The Commons Public Accounts Committee warned last week that the cost of building the railway between London and the West Midlands “might be close to £80 billion”.
At an event on Tuesday to launch a study highlighting how the project has sparked economic growth in west London, Mr Wild said: “HS2 will prove its worth”.
“Reset”
“It is true, we did the same thing in Crossrail, which should give us a lot of hope and benefit going forward.”
Mr Wild was hired to lead the Crossrail project – a new east-west railway line across London – in November 2018 after the project suffered major delays and ran overbudget.
He said he has “spent a lot of time thinking about the reasons” why there has been “such difficulty” with HS2.
He summarised the reasons as construction work starting with only “immature design”, awarding civil engineering contracts that were not “as effective as we thought”, and being “out of sequence” with civil engineering delays meaning later steps such as testing and putting trains on tracks cannot begin.
“National celebration”
A study commissioned by HS2 Ltd found the project is driving a £10 billion boost to west London.
Consultancy Arcadis found planning applications in the 1.5-mile radius around the site of HS2’s Old Oak Common station have increased by 22% since royal assent for the railway was granted in 2017.
Mr Wild described west London as the capital’s “new property development hot spot”.
In relation to Old Oak Common station, Mr Wild said “nobody’s built on this scale”, and the opening will be a “catalytic event”.
He went on: “When we open Old Oak Common station, you will be 31 minutes from Birmingham International, the airport.
“You’ll be 42 minutes from the centre of Birmingham.
“(There will be) great connectivity to the West Country, Heathrow airport and, of course, into London on the Elizabeth line.
“Old Oak Common will become one of the most connected places in the United Kingdom.”
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Rather than building a new runway at Heathrow Andy Burnham’s suggestion of completing the HS2 to Manchester would be a better bet. Even if a slower track bed was used north of Birmingham. It could still be directed to Leeds by a line linking Leeds to Liverpool connected to it. I can’t see the point of extending it to Euston if a west London station is easier. Years ago there were trains from Manchester Central to Paddington. Euston does need sorting out from the mess it is now.
Since all are terrible by international standards it would be better to replace Heathrow, Birmingham and Manchester airports with a massive new hub somewhere along HS2.
HS2 only makes sense as part of UK wide upgrade with all intercity lines running at 140mph with in-cab signalling and 16 carriage trains. Of course this big bold ambition makes central government mandarins feel unwell which is why this plan needs to be broken down into separately funded phases or “bitesize chunks that don’t scare the beancounters”. The only question should be when, not if.
I am so comforted to know this, it will soften the blow of learning that it will have a negative affect on the economy of Cymru, official UK gov figures state, and knowing I am paying for something that is being built and will benefit an entirely different country to where I live. Maybe an article or two about the new highspeed rail network in the EU under construction could also lift my mood.
I think he means a day of regional celebration by the small number of folks who ever use the train, and those employed by it.
It’s of no use to us whatsoever.
Nothing in it for Wales as per usual for by the London Governments of any party in Power WELSH LABOUR M P,s and WELSH SENYDD LABOUR MEMBERS you are supposed to represent us and stand up for us thats all you ever do like nodding dogs say No to any extra money for Wales which we are owed