HS2: Delay to construction of high speed railway in an effort to cut costs, reports say

The high speed rail link has been a topic of controversy for many years - and it is now set to be delayed further
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Construction of certain sections of HS2 are expected to be delayed in an effort to cut costs. The rail project has been affected by various setbacks and now some areas of the route could be delayed.

It is reported that an area of the high speed network between Crewe and Birmingham is one of the sections set to be delayed. In 2010 the cost of HS2 was estimated to be at around the £33 billion mark- this is a figure which has since more than doubled.

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It is believed that the government hopes the delays implemented in the construction will allow the cost of the project to be spread over a longer time span. This would then make it more affordable through reducing expenditure on an annual basis.

The news of the delay comes just days after Mark Thurston, chief executive of HS2 Ltd, told the BBC that the group was looking at project timings. He said: "We’re looking at the timing of the project, the phasing of the project, we’re looking at where we can use our supply chain to secure a lot of those things that are costing us more through inflation."

The Hs2 route has three phases of construction. Phase 1 is set to be between London and Birmingham whilst phase 2A is the route between Birmingham and Crewe.

Phase 2B would see a route built from Crewe to Manchester as well as a separate line from Birmingham to the East Midlands Hub. construction for the Birmingham to London route is well underway in some areas.

In 2021, a large section of the proposed route towards Leeds was scrapped.