HS2 budget ‘goes off the rails’ as printing costs rocket

HS2 bosses have been accused of letting their budget “come off the rails” as figures reveal they spent £1.4million on printing over the past year.

The expense is part of the rail link’s public relations campaign that cost taxpayers £8.1million in the 2022 fiscal year. A further £7.9million is budgeted for the coming year, a Freedom of Information Act request revealed.

HS2 is Europe’s biggest building project with a cost projection of £98billion.

The project requires large investment in diversity training, with three fulltime equality, diversity and inclusion officers and a fourth position unfilled.

Almost 92 working days were lost during the 2021/22 fiscal year to allow HS2 staff to complete diversity training.

The equality, diversity and inclusion budget is set to grow from £201,667 to £503,538 in the year to April 2023.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “These runaway costs suggest that the HS2 budget is coming off the rails. Bosses have shown an inability to get a grip on their finances, with the estimated costs of the project constantly on the rise and millions spent on spin and non-jobs.

“It’s long past time that ministers scrapped this white elephant, and stopped billions more being wasted.”

HS2’s size has regularly prompted criticism over spending. The Daily Telegraph reported a year ago that £40 million of taxpayer cash would be spent on a “bat tunnel” – a mesh shield to protect endangered bats living in ancient woodland next to the highspeed line.

It remains to be seen if HS2’s full “Y-shape” will become a reality. Boris Johnson axed the eastern spur to Sheffield and Leeds. But Rishi Sunak has vowed to complete the project in full.

Jeremy Hosking, the City financier and political donor who has campaigned to scrap HS2, said: “Politicians love big projects because of the baubles, patronage, helpers and hangers on. This tendency is increased in the quangocracy that Britain has become. HS2’s not a railway; it’s more a magic money tree.”

HS2 insisted that the £1.4million printing bill was part of an obligation placed on the project by Parliament to enshrine the rail line into law. A spokesman said: “HS2 Ltd has a duty to communicate with everyone affected along the proposed route. This includes printed material, which meets an obligation placed on us by Parliament.”