How do you solve a problem like HS2?

The Conservatives may end up paying a political price for a project that will struggle to live up to the early hype, writes Sean O’Grady

An early representation of what HS2 trains could look like (PA Media)

What was once a vaunted and ambitious project now looks closer to a millstone around the neck of the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and his government.

Is HS2 in trouble?

Yes. Again. Reports suggested a radical downgrade in its pace and/or ambition on the grounds of rapidly escalating costs – of labour and materials after Brexit, of post-pandemic disruptions, and of the price of energy, ramped up by the war in Ukraine. Several options have apparently been discussed in government. These include various permutations of the following measures: ending the line in the west London suburbs instead of at Euston mainline station; not extending the line north of Birmingham to Manchester; and pressing on with all, or some, of the project but at a slower pace, pushing its completion date back from 2033 to nearer to 2040.