HS2 - The rail to nowhere

About this episode

Nick Cohen discusses the failed HS2 project with transport writer Christian Wolmar, exploring its cost overruns and political mismanagement.

Rail to nowhere - HS2 - the poster child project of a failed British political class In this week's Lowdown podcast, Nick Cohen talks to author and doyen transport writerChristian Wolmar about the serial UK failed high-speed railway project. HS2 has spiralled to an estimated cost of £87-102 billion pounds due to political fickleness, mismanagement, inefficiency, and excessive environmental requirements. Christian Wolmar, author of " Fast Track: The Extraordinary Story of High-Speed Rail, " explains how Treasury interference, lack of coherent government strategy, and environmental concerns (including a notorious £130 million bat tunnel) contributed to the project's catastrophic cost overruns. Nick and Christian compare Britain's failure with successful high-speed rail implementations in Spain, China, and other countries that maintained national strategic vision and better project management. Christian expressed skepticism about current Labour government reforms, noting that Prime Minister Keir Starmer has apparently shown little interest in the Euston station project despite being the local MP. Read all about it! Christian Wolmar Ch ristian Wolmar is an award-winning writer and…

People in this episode

Host: Nick Cohen

Guest: Christian Wolmar

Topics covered

• HS2
• high-speed rail
• political mismanagement
• transportation
• cost overruns
• environmental concerns

Keywords

• HS2
• high-speed railway
• Christian Wolmar
• cost overruns
• transportation policy
• environmental impact
• UK politics

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Fast Track: The Extraordinary Story of High-Speed Rail

Places: UK, Spain, China, Euston

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