HS2 chief operating officer leaves project

THE chief operating officer of HS2 has become the latest senior executive to leave the project.

Richard Robinson joined the high-speed rail line 12 months ago after nearly seven years with engineering group Aecom where he performed a variety of senior roles.

A brief statement from HS2 chief executive Mark Thurston said: “We can confirm that chief operating officer Richard Robinson has decided to leave HS2 to take up a new senior role in the private sector. We wish him every success in his new position.”

HS2 added that during his tenure more than 150 land acquisitions were completed and contracts were signed with First Group/Trenitalia to be the initial train operator for phase one and 2a services.

His departure is the latest in a long line of senior figures to leave the high-speed rail project.

In December, HS2 chairman Sir Terry Morgan quit the role after just four months to be succeeded by Allan Cook.

This was just three months after Paul Griffiths, the man spearheading the second phase of HS2, had quit to take on a new job in Canada. In 2017, director general David Prout quit his post for a senior role at the University of Oxford to be followed a few months later by chief financial officer Steve Allen following a damning report by the National Audit Office into staff redundancy payments related to the team’s move to Two Snowhill in Birmingham.

Mr Robinson’s resignation comes as a review is undertaken into HS2 by its former chairman Douglas Oakervee into the viability of the project which is set to overrun in both budget and timescales, according to a recent announcement by the Government.

The opening of phase one between Birmingham and London could be delayed by up to five years on its original completion date of 2026.

The second phase, between Birmingham and the North West, East Midlands and Yorkshire, could now launch in 2040 against an original completion date of 2033.

The overall project is expected to cost up to £22 billion more than the original £55.7 billion estimate.