Review Finds HS2 Design and Political Changes Contributed to Project Issues

A review of the HS2 high-speed rail project is expected to conclude that a focus on maximum speeds and repeated changes in political direction contributed to cost increases and schedule delays. The report, prepared by former National Security Adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove, is scheduled for publication this week.

It is expected to echo earlier findings that listed changing government priorities and rising costs among the project's main problems.

The review is also expected to cite the project's emphasis on a bespoke, highly engineered design as a contributing factor. HS2 was originally planned to allow trains to reach 360 km/h, faster than any other conventional railway. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander asked HS2 Ltd in March to study whether reducing top speeds could lower expenses.

Most existing high-speed services in the UK operate at around 220 km/h.

Initial plans announced in 2012 called for a line from London to Birmingham, with further extensions to Leeds and Manchester. The eastern leg to Leeds was cancelled in 2021, and the Manchester to Birmingham section was cancelled in 2023. Alexander stated in June 2025 that the government would focus on completing the remaining sections after what she described as a series of failures.

HS2 Ltd chief executive Mark Wild was assigned to lead a comprehensive reset of the project. Construction remains active on several structures, including a 10-mile tunnel under the Chilterns and the Colne Valley viaduct. HS2 Ltd has previously slowed or paused work on some segments to concentrate spending on sections that are behind schedule.

Alexander is expected to confirm in the coming days that passenger service will not begin by the previous target of 2033 and to release an updated cost estimate.