Ministers to oversee ‘dire’ HS2 as true cost remains uncertain

Transport secretary says analysis of high-speed rail project unable to clarify if cost overrun is £10bn or £20bn

Ministers are to oversee HS2 and have launched a review after the government was unable to ascertain the scale of the ballooning overspend on the long-delayed high-speed rail line.

Louise Haigh, the UK transport secretary, said the scale of failure in the delivery of the project was “dire” and analysis had been unable to clarify if the cost overrun was £10bn or £20bn.