Just how much will it cost?

[observer]

Seems a think tank has put a cost estimate on HS2, twice that of the Gov estimate: just who are we to believe and why is it that such major projects always seem to cost more than the original estimates?

[Davy51]

I do wonder Obs if the massive differential in house prices between the south east & everywhere else is a subtle lever to help to sell the benefits of HS2 . The more people that can be convinced that everything above  Watford is a commuter belt with easy access to London , the more people will support HS2 , especially if they can also get on the property ladder  within 2 hours of the capital.

Apart from that ,with video conferencing these days which is even quicker than HS2 ,i can't see the need even for business purposes to spend so much money on HS2.

[observer]

Take your point Dave, but my concern stems from the apparent inability of any major Gov project to be delivered on time and within budget. We need major infrastructure projects (not necessarily this one), to stimulate growth, but just seem incapable of addressing "big" projects.

[Bazj]

Obs.... that is how big tendering works... you go in low to win the business and then absolutely everything afterwards is an "extra"

 

so whoever has put together the estimates has probably not allowed for things like railway tracks or overhead power lines because they weren't specifically asked for in the tender....

 

"....you want these trains to move too eh guv??.....well we haven't allowed for that; that'll be another £40 billion to make that happen"