The UK will delay some parts of its flagship high-speed rail line to reduce the bill on a project that has been estimated to cost more than £100 billion ($119 billion.)
(Bloomberg) — The UK will delay some parts of its flagship high-speed rail line to reduce the bill on a project that has been estimated to cost more than £100 billion ($119 billion.)
The government is due to extend deadlines on certain sections as early as Thursday, according to people familiar with the situation, when it provides an update on the so-called HS2 project that was designed to boost connections between London and the north of the country.
The latest delay to the rail project was first reported by the BBC which said it will primarily affect the section from Birmingham to Manchester.
Government spokesperson Max Blain told journalists on Thursday that work is underway on the project and that cost pressures are continuing to be examined.
Originally designed to improve links between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, HS2 has faced long delays and concern over mounting costs and its environmental impact. Billed as Europe’s biggest infrastructure project, plans have been pared back as the price tag has soared beyond initial estimates of £20 billion. The extension to Leeds was scrapped in 2021.
In January, the government denied reports that it was considering ending the line in the suburbs rather than in central London.
–With assistance from Joe Mayes.
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