An appalling mess

HS2 ‘in appalling mess’ and will be delayed beyond 2033

HS2 is in an “appalling mess” and the planned opening of the high speed railway line has been delayed beyond 2033, the Transport Secretary has said.

Heidi Alexander promised that the Government would be able to turn the project around, but said there was “no route by which trains can be running” by the target date...

Ms Alexander told the Commons on Wednesday: “I have to be honest – it is an appalling mess. But it is one we will sort out. We need to set targets which we can confidently deliver, that the public can trust and that will take time.


Yes, HS2 is an appalling mess, as with much else the UK government dabbles in. It has been an appalling mess for a long time, but a desire to blame the Tories while kicking at least one big can down the road seems to have promoted this particular mess to the coveted status of Major Problem But Not Our Fault.

Ms Alexander has a brainwave though, a way to deal with it well after this Parliament. Set some targets is the cunning plan. Not targets this government can be blamed for missing though, targets set in the distant future. Politically 2033 is the distant future as we know, even more distant than next week.

Is it worth checking with Ed to see if we'll have the electricity to run the trains by 2033? Probably not.