Review Blames HS2 Failure on High-Speed Focus, Political Pressure

Political pressure and an emphasis on achieving maximum speeds contributed to the failure of the HS2 rail line, a forthcoming review is expected to conclude.

The project has been undergoing a “reset,” and in March Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander instructed HS2 executives to examine lowering top speeds as a cost-saving measure.

The report, expected this week, was authored by former National Security Adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove and examined implications for the civil service and public sector.

The findings are expected to align with a prior review that identified HS2’s “original sins” as shifting political priorities and escalating costs.

The review is also expected to highlight “gold-plating” of the high-speed concept, “resulting in [a] bespoke and highly engineered design.”

In the coming days, Alexander is expected to confirm that trains will not begin service by the current target of 2033 and to provide an updated project price tag.

Costs are widely expected to exceed £100 billion.

HS2’s primary objective was to increase rail network capacity, but the project has been plagued by cost overruns and delays.

Under the initial 2012 plans, the rail line was to run from London to Birmingham, then split into two branches to Leeds and Manchester.

In 2021, the government canceled the eastern leg to Leeds. Two years later, it also scrapped the section between Manchester and Birmingham.

In June 2025, Alexander said after “a litany of failure” she was “drawing a line in the sand” and the government would deliver HS2.

Mark Wild, chief executive of HS2 Ltd, was tasked with leading a comprehensive “reset” of the project.

Earlier this year, the transport secretary said she was “determined to explore every opportunity” to “bring down costs and delivery timetables,” including reducing top speeds on the line.

HS2 was designed for trains up to 360 km/h (224 mph), which would have made it the fastest conventional railway globally.

Most UK high-speed trains operate at about 201 km/h (125 mph), while HS1, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, reaches 300 km/h.

Although the railway will not open for years, HS2 is currently in its peak construction phase.

Key structures completed include a 10-mile tunnel under the Chilterns and the Colne Valley viaduct.

As part of reset efforts, HS2 Ltd previously said it would slow or pause work on sections such as the line toward Handsacre to redirect spending to areas that had fallen behind, notably the central section across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire.

Readers can sign up for the Politics Essential newsletter for updates on Westminster and beyond.