Watchdog rates parts of UK’s €52 billion HS2 rail project ‘unachievable’

The UK’s High Speed 2 (HS2) rail line, a project aimed at creating high-speed rail links between London and central and northern England, has been dealt a major blow as it received an “unachievable” rating for its first two phases from an industry watchdog.

The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA), the government’s centre of expertise for infrastructure and major projects, issued a “red” warning for the London to Birmingham and Birmingham to Crewe sections of the ambitious rail venture.