Facing fast rising construction costs, the U.K. government has delayed the next stage of the high-speed railroad project HS2 while casting doubt over timing of the London terminal at Euston. Originally planned to open around 2033, the roughly 37-mile section Phase 2a from north of Birmingham to Crewe will be put back by two years.
Having already spent around $24 billion on the project, “we have seen significant inflationary pressure and increased project costs,” said transportation secretary Mark Harper on March 9. While delaying the section to Crewe, the government “is prioritizing HS2’s initial services between Old Oak Common in London and Birmingham Curzon Street,” he added.