Another delay to HS2 to be announced

The authorities volition denote different hold to the beleaguered HS2 task connected Wednesday, saying the latest people is present impossible.

Sky News understands that Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander volition denote that the London to Birmingham enactment volition nary longer beryllium acceptable to unfastened by 2033.

It is not wide what the caller people day volition be.

Ms Alexander is expected to blasted the Tories for a "litany of failure" that drove the costs up by £37bn since 2012, erstwhile the high-speed obstruction web was approved by the conjugation government.

As archetypal reported by The Telegraph, she is besides expected to rise concerns that taxpayers whitethorn person been defrauded by subcontractors and pledge that "consequences volition beryllium felt".

Ms Alexander's announcement volition travel alongside the findings of 2 reviews into HS2, looking into what went incorrect and however and erstwhile to conception the remainder of it.

She volition archer MPs: "Billions of pounds of taxpayers' wealth has been wasted by changeless scope changes, ineffective contracts and atrocious management.

"It's an appalling mess. But it's 1 we volition benignant out."

HS2 was primitively planned to chopped travel times and amended connectivity betwixt London and the Midlands and the North.

It was fixed the go-ahead successful 2012 with the purpose of operating by 2026, but has since been mired successful setbacks and spiralling costs.

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The archetypal program was to physique the archetypal signifier connecting London and Birmingham, followed by adding 2 branches to Manchester and Leeds.

However, Boris Johnson scrapped the limb to Leeds successful 2021, portion Rishi Sunak pulled the plug connected the remainder of the 2nd signifier to Manchester successful 2023 due to the fact that of spiralling costs.

The latest clip scales springiness an opening day of betwixt 2029 and 2033 for the London to Birmingham leg, which is nether construction.

The astir caller outgo estimation was £49bn to £56.6bn (in 2019 prices), according to a House of Commons probe briefing.

The archetypal measure for the full task astatine 2009 prices, erstwhile the thought was archetypal conceived, was expected to beryllium £37.5bn.