- The HS2 project is now expected to open after 2033, with the London to Birmingham section delayed beyond its target opening date.
- Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander criticised the project's management as a "litany of failure," citing £37 billion in cost increases due to constant scope changes and ineffective contracts.
- HS2 Ltd CEO Mark Wild indicated that the high-speed rail line might open at "reduced running speeds," potentially 200 mph, to cut spiralling costs and reduce further delays.
- Wild proposed a "staged approach" to simplify the initial railway, aiming to reduce risk, improve reliability, and provide more certainty around costs and opening dates.
- The Prime Minister has tasked the cabinet secretary with investigating the roles of civil servants and public bodies in the project's significant delays and cost overruns.
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