HS2, initially hailed as the UK’s grandest infrastructure endeavour, promising to revolutionise public transportation from London to the North, has become synonymous for many with political wrangling, letdowns, never-ending delays, and skyrocketing expenses.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s latest move on the high-speed rail project HS2 has sent shockwaves through the political landscape. To recap, HS2 was conceived as a 330-mile high-speed rail network, initially connecting London to the West Midlands, expanding to Birmingham, and eventually reaching Crewe, Manchester, and Leeds in the North, aiming to enhance connectivity between major cities, freeing up capacity on the West Coast Main Line, and reducing travel times. It promised to whisk passengers at 225mph from London to Manchester and beyond.

As the years rolled on, costs began to soar, morphing from a budget-friendly $45.5 billion to a wallet-crushing $120 billion (current estimates exceeding £180 billion), with completion dates spiralling from 2016 to a distant 2040. The blame? A concoction of factors, including economic aftershocks from the 2008 financial crash, the shadow of Brexit, and the curveball of COVID-19. The eastern leg was shortened, and construction between Birmingham and Crewe is facing delays, possibly pushing central London access into the 2040s.

As for the future, Sunak vows to reinvest the ‘additional money’ saved from scrapping HS2 into numerous transport projects in the North and the Midlands. So, what’s the verdict? The grand vision of HS2 has been downgraded, unleashing $43.6 billion for Sunak’s pet project, ‘Network North’. This includes rapid connections between cities like Manchester and Bradford, Manchester and Sheffield, and Manchester and Hull. Investments will also cover road upgrades, tram systems, and more.

While HS2’s fate hangs in the balance, Labour seems to have a soft spot for the project, fearing that scrapping it would leave parts of the North stuck with outdated transport infrastructure. Meanwhile, many feel party leader Keir Starmer’s stance on HS2 remains as mysterious as the twists and turns of the rail saga itself.

Recently, Rishi Sunak faced some gentle ribbing for sharing a picture of himself on a private jet while announcing the cancellation of HS2’s northern leg. The decision met with disapproval from various quarters, including former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Boris Johnson.

The photo incident prompted Louise Haigh, Labour’s shadow transport secretary, to remark on Sunak’s ‘breathtaking lack of self-awareness’ and Tracy Brabin, the West Yorkshire mayor, to highlight the disparities between Westminster and the Victorian rail infrastructure experienced by many.

And while shadow digital minister Sir Chris Bryant humorously noted the ‘out of touch’ appearance of the photo, Sunak remained focused on redirecting £36 billion from HS2 into road and rail projects across the country, hoping to keep red wall Tory MPs at bay. Talk about the high-fly of politics!

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