Speculation is rising that political forces in Great Britain may thwart initial funding for the country's ambitious HS2 high-speed-rail program, now budgeted at more than $80 billion. The Labour Party's shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, questioned whether the money might be better spent on other projects. But U.K. Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander told a civil engineers' transportation conference in London on Sept. 25 that the current government intended to push the project forward and that it was "absolute folly to neglect its long-term economic benefits for short-term political reasons."

The project would link northern England cities to London and to existing high-speed-rail lines in Scotland. The project's first phase, from London to Birmingham, is set for completion in 2026, with a second-stage extension to Manchester and Leeds to be finished by 2032. Alexander said the program would generate 40,000 jobs and have a $24-billion annual economic impact in the country.