Four London infrastructure projects that unravelled in 2019 December 23, 2019 Boris Johnson “loves infrastructure”. At least, that’s what the Prime Minister said when he was asked about the High Speed Two rail project on the campaign trail earlier this month. And it is just as well. Because some of London’s biggest infrastructure problems are creaking at the seams. If the PM were not so keen on [...]
Costain shares plunge after Welsh arbitration leaves it £20m out of pocket December 12, 2019 Costain shares plummeted 16 per cent today after it warned profit will be about £20m lower than expected after an arbitration case over a Welsh motorway project. The announcement follows a ruling that found the firm shared responsibility for design information on the A465 road project with the Welsh government, a partial reversal of a [...]
HS2 needs government support, not more dithering and debate November 21, 2019 Last week, a leaked draft of the HS2 review revealed recommendations that the controversial project should go ahead as planned. This has sparked some debate, with opponents citing the project’s escalating costs and delays. Yet, when builders’ timescales and budgets for even small-scale domestic construction projects are almost always optimistic and therefore taken with a [...]
HS2: Leaked report means controversial project is now an election issue November 13, 2019 The HS2 high speed rail line has long been the problem child of British infrastructure. Now, at a decade old and with a final decision on its future fast approaching, it is hurtling towards its difficult teenage years. Yesterday, a leaked draft of the government-commissioned review into the project cast yet more doubt on how [...]
Deputy chair of leaked HS2 review slams ‘whitewash’ report November 12, 2019 The deputy chair of the government-commissioned review into HS2 has savaged a late draft of the report, which urges ministers to press on with the project. Lord Tony Berkeley, who was co-author of the report until a matter of weeks ago, has written to chairman Douglas Oakervee demanding his name be removed from the document. [...]
HS2: Leaked report urges government to press on with rail project November 12, 2019 The High Speed 2 (HS2) rail line connecting London to Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds should go ahead in its entirety despite the likelihood of massive budget overruns and falling benefit to the taxpayer, according to a draft of the official review into the project. Douglas Oakervee, a former chair of HS2 who was tasked with [...]
HS2 ‘fundamental’ to hitting UK emissions target, says lobby group November 11, 2019 The HS2 rail project is “fundamental” to the UK hitting its net zero emissions target by 2050, according to a report commissioned by rail industry bosses. HS2, which is planned to link London with the north of England and Scotland via trains travelling at more than 200mph, will mean fewer people take cars and short-haul [...]
Boris Johnson ‘wary of putting HS2 on scrap heap’ November 10, 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has yet to make his mind up on the High Speed 2 rail project but called it “incredibly expensive” late last week, as a government-commissioned review into its future enters its final stages. Speaking on the campaign trail in Nottingham near one of the railway’s planned stops, he said he was [...]
HS2 review still unfinished, with no final decision expected until after election November 3, 2019 A decision on whether to proceed with the controversial HS2 rail project appears to have been pushed back until after the upcoming General Election, amid uncertainty over how it will feature in party manifestos. Lord Tony Berkeley, the deputy chairman of the official review into the high-speed rail scheme, said the report remains unfinished, with [...]
HS2 review panel considers axing eastern extension October 5, 2019 The High Speed 2 rail project could be scaled back in northern England to cut costs. Under plans drawn up by the panel reviewing the project, the route beyond the East Midlands to Leeds and Sheffield would be axed. Train speeds would also be cut by 40mph, in a bid to save more than £10bn, [...]