HS2: Parts of rail project to be delayed for two years

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2023

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The government has announced the construction of sections of HS2 will be delayed by two years to save money.

The high-speed railway was initially set to link London and the West Midlands with a further phase extending to cities in the North.

However, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said on Thursday: “We have seen significant inflationary pressure and increased project costs, and so we will rephase construction by two years, with an aim to deliver high-speed services to Crewe and the North West as soon as possible after accounting for the delay in construction.”

The delay will affect the northwest section of HS2, from Birmingham to Crewe, and then from Crewe to Manchester.

The first part was due for extension between 2030 and 2034 to help boost transport in the north of England, but the window has now shifted to 2032 to 2036 while services will not extend to Manchester until the 2040s.

In a written ministerial statement, Mr Harper said the government is “prioritising HS2’s initial services” between Old Oak Common in west London and Birmingham Curzon Street.

On delivering services to central London, he also hinted at delays, saying: “We will address affordability pressures to ensure the overall spending profile is manageable.

“We will therefore take the time to ensure we have an affordable and deliverable station design, delivering Euston alongside high-speed infrastructure to Manchester.”

This means it could be more than a decade before high-speed services stop at Euston, with passengers expected instead travel for half an hour on the Elizabeth Line.

Mr Harper also announced a series of setbacks affecting key road projects under cost-saving measures that threaten to deliver a blow to “levelling up” plans.

A planned extension to Leeds was already shelved in November 2021.

Labour said the latest delay meant the North was again having to “pay the price” for government failures.

Louise Haigh, the shadow transport secretary, said: “Tens of thousands of jobs, and billions in economic growth are dependent on this project.

“The North is yet again being asked to pay the price for staggering Conservative failure.

“Conservative chaos and chronic indecision is holding back jobs, growth and costing the taxpayer.

“This is the biggest project in Europe and delays pile costs up in the long run – ministers now need to come clean on precisely how much their indecision will cost taxpayers and the North.”

Raising a point of order in the Commons, Labour MP Sarah Owen also attacked Mr Harper for “avoiding scrutiny”.

She said the cabinet minister “should have had the decency to come to this House and explain to members why they are doing this” instead of publishing a written statement “at nearly 5 o’clock on Thursday afternoon”.

Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle also criticised the way the delay was communicated, with his spokesperson saying: “The Speaker has consistently told the government that major policy announcements should be made to the House first so that members have the chance to ask questions on behalf of their constituents, rather than hearing about them via the media.”

Delay ‘could lead to higher costs’

Delivery of the high-speed railway has been a core pledge of the Conservative government but it has been plagued by delays and ever-increasing costs – from estimates of about £33 billion in 2010 to £55.7bn for the whole project in 2015.

By 2019, the estimated cost had soared to at least £71bn, excluding the final eastern leg from the West Midlands to the East Midlands.

Ministers are understood to be delaying construction of the northern section in the hope they can spread the cost over a longer period of time so it was more affordable annually.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to announce his spring budget next week and will have Rishi Sunak’s target in mind – to get government debt to fall as a percentage of GDP within five years.

However, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said the delay would hit confidence in the rail industry and could ultimately lead to higher overall costs for HS2.

John Foster, the CBI’s policy unit programme director, said the news “will ultimately reduce investor and contractor confidence in the rail sector”.

“To mitigate further loss of confidence, it is critical that government tackles the inflationary pressures which are biting hard across the infrastructure sector,” he said.

“Delays to projects may create short-term savings, but they can ultimately lead to higher overall costs and slow down the UK’s transition to a better, faster and greener transport network.”

HS2 a ‘colossal mistake’

Leader of Birmingham City Council, Ian Ward, said the delay is “another betrayal of the Midlands and the North, making a mockery of the government’s empty promises to level up the UK economy”.

But Conservative MP and former chief secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke said delaying construction “would be a sensible decision”.

“Having observed HS2’s progress as chief secretary, I have serious doubts as to value for money and cost control,” he said.

Greg Smith, the Conservative MP for Buckingham, called for the government to “accept the whole thing was a colossal mistake and scrap it, all of it”.

Just last week, rail minister Huw Merriman told the Commons the government is “absolutely committed” to delivering HS2 but admitted “cost pressures” must be examined.

HS2 Ltd chief executive Mark Thurston said the project had suffered a “significant” impact from increased costs in building materials, fuel and energy due to high inflation.

HS2 is Britain’s biggest infrastructure project and has had support from governments of all stripes since it was first mooted more than a decade ago.

But last month, the government reportedly planned to make drastic changes that would almost halve the number of high-speed trains per hour and services would travel slower to save money.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said at the time it “does not comment on speculation” and said the government “remain committed to delivering the project”.

In January, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said he did not see “any conceivable circumstance” in which the original plan would not be followed after reports the high-speed line could stop before reaching central London.

There were claims the last leg of HS2 into Euston could be scrapped and replaced with a new hub at Old Oak Common in the suburbs of northwest London, where it is set to stop before travelling into Euston.

The government did not deny the reports or that a two to five-year delay to the entire project – currently due to be completed between 2029 and 2033 – was being considered due to record high inflation impacting costs.

World

New Zealand: Family’s plea to fugitive dad on the run with children for nearly four years

Published

2 hours ago

August 20, 2025

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New Zealand: Family's plea to fugitive dad on the run with children for nearly four years

The family of a father who disappeared with his three children nearly four years ago in New Zealand have broken their silence to appeal for him to return home.

In December 2021, Tom Phillips vanished into the wilderness with his two daughters and son – but his family have said they still remain hopeful “today will be the day you all come home”.

Phillips, along with Jayda, now aged 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, nine, were last believed to have been seen in a “credible sighting” last October hiking through a bush area near Marokopa on the country’s North Island.

For the first time, his family have directly appealed to Phillips in the hope that “just maybe, he’s going to see this” and “that we are here for him”.

In an interview with New Zealand journalist Paddy Gower, his sister Rozzi Phillips said she missed being part of her brother’s life, adding “I really want to see you” and “you’re very special to me”.

She also read out a handwritten message from Phillips’ mother, Julia, which came from her “heart, just to her son”.

“Tom, I feel really sad that you thought you had to do this, not considering how much we love you and could support you,” she said.

“It hurts every time I see photos of the children and of you and see some of your stuff that is still here, thinking what could have been if you’d not gone away.”

According to New Zealand news site, Stuff, the letter ended with a message for the three children.

“We love you so much and really miss being part of your lives,” it read.

“Every day we wake up and hope that today will be the day you all come home.”

Ms Phillips said her brother is a skilled builder and would have constructed a shelter.

Police believe his actions could be linked to a custody battle.

There have been numerous reported sightings since December 2021.

The most recent last October was said to be from a distance when the group were seen wearing camouflage gear and carrying large camping backpacks.

World

Israel calls up thousands of reservists as it prepares to launch new Gaza offensive

Published

8 hours ago

August 20, 2025

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Israel calls up thousands of reservists as it prepares to launch new Gaza offensive

Israel will call up 60,000 reservists as it prepares to launch an expanded military operation in Gaza City.

The military said the country’s defence minister Israel Katz has approved plans to begin a new phase of operations in some of the most densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces will operate in areas of Gaza City where they have not yet operated and where it believes Hamas is still active, a military official said.

The city is the main military and governing stronghold of Hamas and Israeli troops will target the group’s vast underground network, the official added.

Although Israel has targeted and killed much of Hamas’ senior leadership, parts of the group are actively regrouping and carrying out attacks, including launching rockets towards Israel, the official said.

It remains unclear when the operation will begin, but it could be a matter of days.

The official said 60,000 reservists will be called up in the coming month and the service of an additional 20,000 reservists currently serving will be lengthened.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the objectives of the war are to secure the release of the remaining hostages and destroy Hamas.

International criticism of Israel increased after the planned offensive was announced earlier this month amid fears of another mass displacement of Palestinians.

The families of the hostages and former army and intelligence chiefs oppose an expanded operation in Gaza City, with most of the families of hostages wanting an immediate ceasefire.

They worry an expanded assault could threaten prospects of bringing the 50 remaining hostages home. Israel believes 20 of those are still alive.

The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting 251.

Many of the hostages have been released in ceasefires and other deals, with Hamas saying it will only free the remainder in exchange of a lasting ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal.

More than 62,000 people have been killed during Israel’s 22-month counteroffensive, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says women and children make up around half of those killed.

Earlier this week, the ministry said 154 adults had died of malnutrition-related causes since the ministry began counting such deaths in late June, and 112 children have died of malnutrition-related causes since the war began.

World

Tents abandoned as Palestinians flee Israeli advance into Gaza City

Published

11 hours ago

August 20, 2025

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Tents abandoned as Palestinians flee Israeli advance into Gaza City

Thousands have fled parts of Gaza City in recent days amid airstrikes and advancing Israeli troops, new satellite imagery shows.

Israel’s advance comes as it prepares to mount a full-scale invasion of the city, where the UN says around one million Palestinians are sheltering.

Satellite imagery shows that entire tent camps in southeast Gaza City were emptied between 9 and 17 August as families fled the renewed attacks.

The video below shows the moment of an airstrike in southeastern Gaza City on 13 August. Sky News geolocated the footage to a building less than 200 metres from a major tent camp.

Another video, taken on 15 August, shows a strike on a building right next to the camp.

By the following day, almost all the camp’s residents had fled, along with people sheltering at 30 other locations in the area.

Fresh vehicle tracks in the area indicate extensive troop movements on the ground.

The satellite image below, taken on 17 August, shows at least nine military vehicles in the streets surrounding one former tent camp.

Sky News counted 58 military vehicles in the area on 17 August, including 17 bulldozers.

The image below shows four IDF vehicles, including a bulldozer, parked next to the remains of one tent camp. Several nearby buildings had been levelled in the days beforehand.

Between 9 and 17 August, at least 132 buildings were destroyed in less than one square kilometre of the city.

It’s unclear how much of the destruction was carried out by IDF bulldozers and how much was a result of airstrikes.

On Monday, eyewitnesses reported that Israeli tanks had made further advances into eastern Gaza City.

The advances came as Hamas said it had approved a ceasefire deal presented by mediators Egypt and Qatar. Israel has yet to respond to the proposal.

Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his country’s military to prepare for a full-scale invasion and occupation of the city in order to “free Gaza from Hamas”.

The UN has said that the invasion risks “catastrophic consequences” for the estimated one million Palestinians sheltering in the city, while UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the plan would “only bring more bloodshed”.

The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done.