What Went Wrong With HS2?

In 2020, the UK Prime minister, Boris Johnson approved a controversial and massive transport infrastructure project for the country, called HS2. In 2024, after over 15 years of planning. With estimated costs ballooning almost four times to a staggering £106 Billion pounds, and several massive changes to the blueprint, HS2 is still yet to be delivered.

The project was meant to connect the disproportionately populated London with the rest of the UK, including cities like Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds, with the eventual goal of stretching all the way to Scotland. But the project was mired with problems from the start.

The huge environmental costs and damage to England's iconic landscapes and wildlife had protests rising up all over the country. Legal battles ensued, adding years and tens of millions of pounds to a budget that was spiralling out of control. It seemed as if the project was doomed to join other great transport engineering follies of the modern age, such as the Moscow Monorail, or the California High Speed Rail.

This is in contrast to China's High-Speed Rail network, the largest rail network in the world. The idea for this was originally floated long after planning for HS2 began in the UK, but quickly overtook it in rollout and delivery.

HS2 would have been completed in just under 2 years at the pace and level of investment. Instead, it labours on, far from the destination it promised, and at four times the predicted cost. Could this be the United Kingdom’s biggest, and most costly, infrastructure blunder ever?

[Clickworker]

It’s astonishing that Britain has lost the majority of its automotive industry and still has arguably worse rail than Germany.

[StefanWithTrains]

You should really do some research. No, California High Speed Rail didn't spend 100 billion US dollars, but it is estimated to cost that much. They have to date only spend 17 billion dollars on the projects under the megaproject. The reason why it is going this slow is because they don't have a good funding source from the state or the federal goverment to support the construction of the entire project.

[catherinebarber]

Making trains compete with planes, for speed, is absolute folly.

[john]

This video ably demostrates the enormity of the lies spoken by politicians and of their utter incompetence.

[sunroad]

The music killed it.
Education and documentaries by physics torture - ha ha ha.

[ronsmith]

HS2 was clearly a project that was not well thought through or at least not well communicated if it was. The project and how it fits in to a larger longer term strategy do not appear to have been explained. Government led projects never seem to be very successful and often go way over budget. I always compare with the days when the UK was a railway pioneer. 200 hundred years ago The Liverpool and Manchester Railway project was created. It had a clear "case" to provide something that was definitely useful with overall benefit, but as far as I know was not led by central government in any way but by business leaders. I am sympathetic with the view "how can the cost possibly be justified when all it does is provide a better rail service between Manchester and London". I have a rail line only walking distance from my home where modern & efficient trains pass every 15 minutes that I cannot board because the station was demolished many years ago. The site still remains vacant and the station could likely be rebuilt for a few million. Maybe the decision makers need to get a better understanding of the actual transport needs and what provides best value for money as well as return on investment? It's not just about getting to/from London quicker.

[martinsloman]

This video is obviously relying on a lot of biased sources and makes some illogical comments. How can tunnels, often constructed to preserve landscapes (including one mile long tunnel constructed to avoid cutting down ancient woodland) be described as 'highly intrusive?' How can the self-publicist Chris Packham justify his claim that this is the most destructive project ever? Think about it - 345 miles (both phases) of narrow rail route compared to 2, 200 miles of much wider motorway. The huge amount of environmental work carried out by this project (which adds considerably to its footprint) is unprecedented in UK infrastructure. As for carbon emissions, the whole route of HS2 in construction and 120 years of operation will produce less carbon than one month's emissions of the UK road network. HS2 will reduce UK emissions by encouraging modal shift from road and air transport and free up considerable passenger and freight capacity on the existing rail network.

[johnburns]

Liverpool needs an extra train each hour - *_urgently._* Liverpool is the only major city underserved to London while neighbour Manchester is overserved. This needs addressing urgently. All the rest on the network can wait until the government has some money. That includes a WCML Stafford bypass and HS2.

Even Network Rail realize this:
_Reduce rail journey times and increase rail capacity between Scotland and London, the Midlands and North West England by upgrading the West Coast Main Line north of Crewe_
- Union Connectivity Review

_the two-track section of the WCML between Winsford and Weaver is heavily congested which leads to reliability issues._
- Integrated Rail Plan

The power lines need ugrading *_immediately, _* as they are not man enough to get a second train per hour to Liverpool. Then make the WCML four track from Crewe to Windsford to improvements even further for Liverpool and Scottish trains. These upgrades also improve the freight to Liverpool's large port.

[jamesau]

Pretty much predicted as most western country don't have plentiful supply of blue collar labour(or being expensive), something labourous as construction project would be much slower and more expensive. You can't compare UK and Chinese speed of construction given the cost of labour difference.

[IainHC]

HS2 IS good for the country! Although its original destinations have been cut by narrow minded politicians! BUT Watch out for HS3 to complete the cancelled HS2 journey!! This IS gonna happen!!

[yournotjokinggovernment]

So currently if they just focused on Stage phase 1 London to Birmingham currently. Open that and with what you get from that put it back into HS2 to complete the whole project.

[jimbo-uq]

The west coast main line trains london to crewe...run half empty

[rbra]

Can somebody calculate 79 pounds to real money?

[djlondon]

Of course in China if you want to build a rail network, you can literally knock down anyone's home and build it where you want... And you don't need to pay much heed to disturbing the natural environment. HS2 is in FACT progressing well and built to a high standard whilst respecting nature responsibly. You're welcome. ❤

[sheilah]

Trains, as a solution to climate change, which we ALL WANT TO FIGHT, is as awful an example of wasted effort as EVs. The best use of HSR is in regional applications, not national ones. Witness the SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATIONS IN FLORIDA AND TEXAS, PRIVATE INDUSTRY VENTURES. Then compare those results to the mess in California. Do it regionally, let private (AMERICAN) industry build it, then enjoy it.

[Fab.]

Uk has a worse railway than any modern European country, Italy and France particularly are miles ahead. Frecciarossa was finished not long ago and hs2 is a mess in every sense of the word

[LawpickingLocksmith]

Lol, lol, lol the industrial age and England lol.

[gissie]

Its a lot more expensive than £99. To London.

[lrsabellano]

That's the problem of the rotting democracy.

[Rogelio_Inzunza]

Well…… ain’t Capitalism just the greatest thing since sliced bread?