The only way to make HS2 cheaper? Build HS3 Transport and infrastructure It’s a basic fact of economics that the more efficiently you make something, the easier it is to bring down the price. Among the best-known examples is the Ford Model T, one of the top-selling cars in the 20th century with more than 15 million produced. The manufacturing process became so efficient, and each car’s [...]
Surinder Arora: Heathrow could be the next Thames Water Transport and infrastructure Surinder Arora is the man bidding to break a decades-old monopoly by winning the right to build Heathrow’s third runway. With the government’s first remarks on proposals expected this month, he sits down with Ali Lyon to discuss the merits of his proposal, the reasons behind it, and why he thinks that – without urgent [...]
Reform promise to scrap ‘insane’ Northern Powerhouse Rail Transport and infrastructure Reform UK has pledged to scrap Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), labelling the project “insane” ahead of a major announcement by the Labour government in the coming weeks. Richard Tice, in a forward to a report by centre-right think tank Policy Exchange, told companies considering bidding for contracts to build NPR that they should “not bother” [...]
Costain shares tumble after HS2 delays spark revenue slump August 20, 2025 Shares in Costain tumbled 13 per cent in the opening minutes of trade in London after the construction firm was hit by further delays to HS2. The Bishopsgate-based business said its overall revenue fell 17.8 per cent to £525m for the first six months of the year, of which revenue for its rail infrastructure services [...]
Balfour Beatty receives profit boost from government contracts August 13, 2025 Infrastructure group Balfour Beatty recorded a jump in profit for the first half of the year after a bumper performance in its UK construction. The London-listed firm posted a £20m rise in pre-tax profit for the first six months of the year to £132m, up from £112m last year. It came as the business’ UK [...]
HS2 contracts may be twice as costly as first thought, says new boss July 9, 2025 The contracts for HS2 may run to more than double their initial projected cost, the troubled project’s new chief executive has warned ahead of crunch talks this autumn. Mark Wild, who was brought in to reset the high-speed line last year, told MPs the contracts would finish “considerably over budget,” with a likely overspend of [...]
Exclusive: Taxpayers to front extra £4bn for recent HS2 delays July 2, 2025 Recent delays to HS2 have increased costs for taxpayers by up to nearly £4bn, according to a government document detailing the value of mega-projects in the UK. The Office for Value for Money, a cost-saving unit set up by Rachel Reeves, found deferrals over the last two years would increase costs on Phase 1 from [...]
CMA to probe delivery of UK road and railway projects as costs soar June 19, 2025 The UK’s competition watchdog will launch a review into the delivery of UK road and railway infrastructure amid widespread delays and cost overruns. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said its study would focus on “persistent issues around cost and delivery” of schemes across the country. It comes a day after the government delayed HS2 [...]
Labour must not overlook London when it comes to infrastructure spending June 19, 2025 The Spending Review saw investment in Scotland, the Midlands and the North but this not come at the expense of London, which is essential to the growth of the entire nation. The infrastructure strategy is a chance to correct the course, says Peter Hogg As the economic heart of the United Kingdom, London plays an [...]
HS2: Can it be pulled back from the brink? June 18, 2025 For anyone who has followed the debacle surrounding HS2, the transport secretary’s scathing verdict on Wednesday will come as no surprise. The “appalling mess” of HS2, as Heidi Alexander put it, means there is “no route” to delivering the scheme on time and on budget. Shock. HS2’s costs were already known to have exceeded more [...]