Minister says she will ‘sort out’ HS2 and confirms opening will be delayed

The project has suffered repeated delays and soaring costs despite being scaled back.

Ms Alexander said: “It’s an appalling mess, but it’s one we will sort out.

“We need to set targets which we can confidently deliver, that the public can trust, and that will take time.

“But rest assured, where there are inefficiencies, we will root them out.”

The Cabinet minister said an interim report by Mark Wild, the chief executive of HS2 Ltd, who was appointed late last year, “lays bare the shocking mismanagement of the project under previous governments”.

She added: “He stated, in no uncertain terms, the overall project with respect of cost, schedule and scope is unsustainable.

“Based on his advice, I see no route by which trains can be running by 2033 as planned.

“He reveals costs will continue to increase if not taken in hand, further outstripping the budget set by the previous government.

“And he cannot be certain that all cost pressures have yet been identified.”

Ms Alexander said she is “drawing a line in the sand, calling time on years of mismanagement, flawed reporting and ineffective oversight”.

The Transport Secretary claimed the word “affordable” was “clearly not part of the HS2 lexicon”.

She went on: “This Government will get the job done between Birmingham and London.

“We won’t reinstate cancelled sections we can’t afford, but we will do the hard but necessary work to rebuild public trust.”

HS2 was originally due to run between London and Birmingham, then on to Manchester and Leeds, but the project was severely curtailed by the Conservatives in power because of spiralling costs.

The first phase was initially planned to open by the end of 2026, but this was pushed back to between 2029 and 2033.

In 2013, HS2 was estimated to cost £37.5 billion (at 2009 prices) for the entire planned network, including the now-scrapped extensions from Birmingham.

In June last year, HS2 Ltd assessed the cost for the line between London and Birmingham would be up to £66 billion.

Ms Alexander said the Government has accepted all the recommendations of a review into the governance and accountability of HS2 Ltd, led by senior infrastructure delivery adviser James Stewart.

She told the Commons: “Quite simply, there have been too many dark corners for failure to hide in.

“The ministerial taskforce set up to provide oversight of HS2 had inconsistent attendance from key ministers, including the then-transport secretary and the then-chief secretary to the Treasury.

“The Government has re-established the taskforce with full senior attendance, as per the review’s recommendations – and new performance programme and shareholder boards will offer much-needed oversight and accountability.”

Chairman

Speaking after the session, Plaid’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts, said: “The Transport Secretary re-confirmed today that the £445 million investment for Welsh railways will be spread out over ten years. That’s only £45 million a year.

“The estimated £100 billion cost of HS2 really puts that announcement for Wales into perspective. The announcement is a drop in the ocean compared to the around £5 billion Wales is owed in consequential funding.

“Plaid Cymru will continue holding Labour to account on this until they stop taking Wales for granted.”

Ms Alexander also confirmed the appointment of Mike Brown as chairman of HS2 Ltd.

Mr Brown is a former commissioner for Transport for London, who helped to oversee the delivery of Crossrail, the transport project which became London’s Elizabeth line.