Mark Wild, the chief executive of HS2 Ltd, acknowledged that HS2 has fundamentally failed in its mission to control costs and that a reset is essential. He emphasized that the project must stop repeating past mistakes, indicating that the current approach is unsustainable and needs reevaluation. Wild's comments highlight the necessity to establish a new baseline programme to effectively measure and manage ongoing costs and risks, which he stated would take until mid-2026 to develop.
Construction started way too early, according to Wild, who noted that the decision to begin before mature design consents was a significant miscalculation. He described the current activities as all out of synchronism and called for the formation of a new baseline programme. Wild expressed that without this reset, HS2 would continue to struggle with systemic issues, including an unclear risk management approach that shifts responsibilities away from the supply chain, undermining fiscal accountability.
Dame Bernadette Kelly, the DfT's top civil servant, admitted that the department lacks an agreed cost estimate for phase one of HS2. She highlighted the initial cost estimate of £54-66 billion from 2019, noting that adjusting for current prices raises this to £67-82 billion. Kelly acknowledged the situation as unacceptable, expressing regret over the financial uncertainties and the lack of a reliable framework for estimating future costs. Her statements underscore the challenges facing HS2 amid its ongoing budgetary turmoil.
Despite acknowledging concerns surrounding HS2's expenditure, Wild refrained from apologizing for specific costs, including a controversial £100 million bat shed. He referred to the structure as a considerable engineering project and reiterated his understanding of public apprehensions after visiting the site shortly after his appointment. Wild's avoidance of a direct apology reveals a tension between project transparency and accountability, as well as the complexities inherent in large infrastructural projects.
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