{"id":18600,"date":"2023-06-24T12:49:08","date_gmt":"2023-06-24T19:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/hs2-delay-adds-360m-to-overall-cost\/"},"modified":"2023-06-24T12:49:13","modified_gmt":"2023-06-24T19:49:13","slug":"hs2-delay-adds-360m-to-overall-cost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/hs2-delay-adds-360m-to-overall-cost\/","title":{"rendered":"HS2 delay adds \u00a3360m to overall cost"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The first stab at what the true cost of delaying works to control day-to-day project costs has emerged in leaked internal Government documents.<\/p>\n

The briefing also warns the two-year pause to construction work on key sections at Euston and phase 2a between Birmingham and Crewe will actually set work back 3.5 years when taking into account re-mobilisation to full capacity.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, rail minister Huw Merriman admitted that the cost of rebuilding Euston had risen by \u00a32.2bn to \u00a34.8bn.<\/p>\n

In his report on the project he also warned that the Euston terminus was not affordable at that price.<\/p>\n

The industry has always argued that a project delay could only ever inflate the delivery budget even if it buys time to revisit the costly Euston terminus design for a third time to re-engineer down costs.<\/p>\n

A spokesperson for the High Speed Rail Group, representing suppliers and contractors, said: \u201cAs we said when the two-year delay was announced in March this year, the cheapest way to deliver HS2 is quickly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOnce complete the railway will be a vital new artery for the United Kingdom which adds necessary capacity for people and goods, while getting passengers off planes and onto trains.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is necessary both for economic growth and to meet the UK\u2019s net zero ambitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need ministers to urgently agree a long-term plan to deliver this vital piece of infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n