Skyrocketing costs push Britain's HS2 high-speed rail project to Rp2.432 trillion

The British government has announced that the cost of building the HS2 high-speed railway could balloon to as much as 103 billion pounds, or about 138 billion US dollars, equivalent to Rp2,432 trillion as of Wednesday, 20 May 2026. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the infrastructure project is once again experiencing budget overruns and significant delays. HS2 was originally designed to increase transport capacity and help Britain catch up with other European countries that already have modern high-speed networks. However, rising costs and construction delays have led the government to progressively scale back the project.

Alexander said the latest analysis indicates cancelling the project would cost nearly the same as proceeding with it. The line connecting central London and Birmingham is now estimated to cost between 87.7 billion and 102.7 billion pounds, equivalent to Rp2,071 trillion to Rp2,426 trillion at an exchange rate of Rp23,622 per pound.

In addition to cost overruns, the HS2 timetable has been pushed back significantly. Rail services are not expected to operate until between 2036 and 2039, more than a decade later than originally planned. Meanwhile, services to Euston Station in central London are anticipated to begin between 2040 and 2043.

Alexander blamed the previous administration for decisions to build the dedicated high-speed line with the world’s fastest trains. He cited inefficient project delivery, cost overruns, and inflation as key drivers of the HS2 budget surge, noting that the 2011 initial estimate was only 32 billion pounds.

(Reuters/HS2 Ltd)