HS2 should be cancelled immediately as it's a wasteful project with no justifiable benefits
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/simonjenkins. "HS2 is the wildest white elephant in British history. Please put it out of its misery | Simon Jenkins | The Guardian." May 21, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The author argues that Britain's HS2 high-speed rail project has become so expensive and delayed that it should be cancelled immediately. Instead of throwing more money at this failed project, the government should use those billions for hospitals, schools, and local transport that people actually need.
Conclusion
The HS2 railway project should be stopped immediately and its remaining budget redirected to more urgent infrastructure needs
Premises
- HS2 costs have escalated to £102.7bn with completion delayed until 2039, making it potentially the most expensive infrastructure failure in British history
- The project is fundamentally flawed with the wrong route, wrong speed, and wrong termini, making it a 'superfluous railway'
- Minimal physical progress has been made despite £44bn already spent - no track laid, only 2 of 52 viaducts completed, and only 11% of bridges finished
- The sunk cost fallacy is driving continued investment in a failed project when compensation costs would be far less than the remaining £60bn+ budget
- The same money could fund far more urgent needs like hospitals, schools, care homes, prisons, and urban transit systems that Britain desperately lacks
- Britain has only 9 tram networks compared to France's 30 and Germany's 60, showing where rail investment should actually go
Assumptions
- Compensation costs for cancellation would be significantly less than continuing the project
- Alternative uses of the money (hospitals, schools, urban transit) would provide greater public benefit
- The project's fundamental design flaws cannot be fixed through better management
- Political courage to cancel major projects is both possible and desirable
- Faster travel times between Birmingham and London are not a priority compared to other infrastructure needs