Out of sight: spectacular HS2 tunnels offer glimmer of hope for stalling project

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HS2's spectacular tunnels, buried beneath the Chiltern countryside, have finally reached completion - a milestone that offers a glimmer of hope for stalling the project. The £32.7 billion budget, initially set to connect London and Birmingham, is now expected to balloon to over £80 billion due to delays and cost overruns.

The 9-mile diameter tunnels are the result of lengthy construction and multiple redesigns, including extended tunnelling at a location previously deemed too sensitive for high-speed rail, sparking controversy among local residents. Despite setbacks, construction work continued despite the pandemic, employing around 1,800 people at its peak.

HS2's chief executive Mark Wild has vowed to bring the project back on track and deliver it "for the lowest reasonable cost." The transport secretary's office has confirmed a comprehensive review of the entire HS2 build is underway. Several key changes have been implemented, including revamping corporate roles to focus on frontline delivery jobs and renegotiating contracts with suppliers to prevent ballooning costs.

A major line from Birmingham to Manchester remains an "intention," even if it won't be part of HS2. The project's new direction aims to address the issues of cost increases and delays while restoring efficiency and productivity. Despite the challenges ahead, Wild is confident that his team will deliver a high-quality railway that will leave a lasting impression.

The completion of these tunnels marks an important milestone in the long journey to bring Britain's high-speed rail network up to speed.
 
[Image of a cartoon train with a shocked face, surrounded by a red " Budget Gone Wild" banner] 🚂💸😱

[Animated GIF of a train wreck, with parts flying off and debris everywhere] 🚫🌳💥

[A picture of a person holding a megaphone, shouting "Cost Overruns Ahead!"] 👊🏻💸😤
 
🚂💼 Honestly, I'm both relieved and annoyed at the same time... like with HS2, right? 🤔 First off, it's super impressive that they managed to complete these tunnels after all the delays and redesigns. It's a huge achievement for the construction team and everyone involved. 💪 However, I am SO not feeling the updated budget 🤑 - from £32.7 billion to over £80 billion? That's insane! 💸 And what really gets my goat is that it's affecting so many innocent people living in the Chiltern countryside... they've been through enough already. 😔 But at least Mark Wild seems pretty committed to getting things back on track, and I'm all for that 🙌. Fingers crossed they can deliver a top-notch railway without breaking the bank 💸🚂
 
I'M SO GLAD HS2 IS FINALLY DONE!!! 🎉 BUT AT THE SAME TIME I'M SUPER DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THE BUDGET INCREASES AND DELAYS - £80 BILLION IS CRAZY!!! 🤑 WHY DID IT HAVE TO TAKE SO LONG? I MEAN, I KNOW THERE WERE CONTROVERSIES OVER THE TUNNEL LOCATION AND ALL THAT BUT COME ON, 9-MILE DIAMETER TUNNELS ARE NO JOKE! 💥 STILL, AT LEAST THE CONSTRUCTION CONTINUED DURING THE PANDEMIC AND THEY'RE TRYING TO REVAMP THINGS NOW. IT'S GOOD TO SEE THEY'RE FOCUSING ON DELIVERY JOBS AND RENEGOTIATING CONTRACTS TO SAVE CASH!!! 🤑
 
HS2 should've been finished like 5 years ago 🙄, now it's gonna cost £80 billion... what a waste 💸. Locals have been dealing with noise and disruption for ages, hope they get some serious compensation 🤑. Mark Wild needs to do better than just "lowest reasonable cost"... that's not exactly reassuring 😬.
 
🚂💸 just thinking about this £80 billion price tag makes me wanna wonder if britain can afford all this infrastructure 🤔 meanwhile, 1800 people lost their jobs due to these delays... hope they get back to work soon 🕒
 
I don’t usually comment but... think they should just scrap it altogether tbh 🤷‍♂️. I mean, £80 billion is insane! They've already spent years and resources on this thing and now it's just going to cost that much more? And for what? To connect London and Birmingham? It seems like such a small part of the country... plus they're still gonna have to deal with all the local residents who are gonna be displaced... 🤯

I don’t know, maybe I'm just not seeing the big picture but it just feels like a huge waste of money to me. And what's up with the corporate roles revamp and renegotiating contracts? Sounds like they're trying to cut costs by not paying their suppliers enough 😒. Still, at least the construction workers got paid and all that... 🙏
 
I'm not surprised by this development tbh 🤔. I mean, have you seen the construction delays and cost overruns on other projects? It's like they're trying to break some kind of record for most expensive railway in the world 💸. But at least they're being upfront about it now, acknowledging that costs are gonna go through the roof.

I'm kinda curious to see how this comprehensive review is gonna play out though 🤞. I mean, revamping corporate roles and renegotiating contracts with suppliers? That's a good start, but can't they just get rid of some of those fancy-schmancy middle managers who are sucking up all the cash? 💸

Anyway, on to the bright side - we'll finally have some decent high-speed rail lines in the UK. I've been waiting for this my whole life 😂. And yeah, it's not like Birmingham and Manchester aren't connected enough already 🤷‍♂️. Still, can't wait to see how this all turns out! 👀
 
Ugh 🤦‍♂️, I just can't even with this HS2 situation. I mean, 9 miles of tunnel under the Chiltern countryside? It's like they're trying to dig their own graves...or in this case, expensive highways 🔴💸. £80 billion?! That's just crazy talk 🤯! And don't even get me started on the delays and cost overruns... it's like a bad joke 😂.

I feel for the people who have been working on this project, though - they must be exhausted 💁‍♀️. And to think that thousands of local residents had to put up with all the noise and disruption? Not cool 🤕.

But hey, I guess you can't blame them for trying to bring some speed and efficiency to Britain's rail network 🚂. It's just a shame it's taken so long and cost so much 💸. And now they're just going to "revamp" everything and try again? Like that's even possible 🤦‍♂️.

I mean, can't we just have a decent, reliable public transportation system for once? Is that too much to ask? 😩
 
🤦‍♀️ I'm so done with all the delays and cost overruns on the HS2 project! £80 billion is crazy, especially when they started out with a budget of £32.7 billion 😱. It's like they're saying "screw the original plan" and just keep throwing money at it until something works. I get that things didn't go as planned during the pandemic and all, but come on! The thought of 1,800 people losing their jobs because of this mess is really concerning 💔.

And can we talk about how insensitive it is to have construction work happen in areas with sensitive locations? 🤕 I'm not saying it's an excuse for delays, but maybe they should've taken more time to figure things out instead of just digging and hoping everything works out.

I do appreciate that the transport secretary's office is doing a review and trying to get costs under control 💪. Maybe we'll see some changes that will actually benefit the project. Until then, I'm just going to sit back and wait for the inevitable price tag increase 🤦‍♀️.
 
I'm not sure how they're gonna get this thing back on track now. I mean, £80 billion is crazy talk! 🤑 They've had so many changes and redesigns already, it's like they're trying to reinvent the wheel. I feel for the people who got hired during the pandemic, though - 1,800 or whatever, that's a lot of lives affected by one project. And what's with the "lowest reasonable cost" vow from Wild? Sounds like empty promises to me... still hopeful it'll turn out okay tho 🤞
 
Wow 🤯, can't believe how much this project has cost already! £32.7 billion was a lot, but over £80 billion? That's crazy 💸. I mean, who would've thought it'd balloon so out of control? 😂 Still, I guess they're trying to make the best of it now with all these changes. Renegotiating contracts and revamping corporate roles... interesting 🤔. And hey, at least 1,800 people were employed during the pandemic! That's a silver lining 💪. Fingers crossed Mark Wild gets this back on track 💨.
 
OMG, I'm low-key impressed they finally finished those HS2 tunnels 🤯! The £80 billion budget blowout is a major bummer tho 😱. But for real, 1,800 peeps were employed at its peak? That's pretty awesome 💪. And they're revamping corporate roles and renegotiating contracts to keep costs in check? That's like, totally on point 🙌.

I'm not sure about the Birmingham to Manchester line being an "intention" if it's not part of HS2... that sounds like a bit of a detour 🚶‍♂️. But I guess it's better than scrapping the whole thing altogether, right? 🤔. Mark Wild seems pretty confident that his team will get it done, and that's kinda reassuring 😊.

I'm still not sure if this high-speed rail network is for me... but it's definitely an interesting project to watch unfold 🔍. Fingers crossed they can bring the costs under control and deliver something really special 💥!
 
Ugh 🤯 can't even believe this £80 billion price tag for HS2 now... like, what happened? 🤑 All that money and it's still gonna take forever to finish 😩. I get why they had to make changes and redo the tunnels, but 9 miles of diameter is crazy talk 🤷‍♀️. And all those people who lost their jobs during the pandemic? Like, we should've been focusing on rebuilding our economy instead of messing around with this train project 💸. Still, I guess it's a step in the right direction and Mark Wild's trying his best to get it done 💪.
 
omg can you believe this 🤯 £80 billion is insane! i remember when it was first announced like 10 years ago and everyone thought it was a good idea... now idk what's going on with all these delays and cost overruns... the government needs to take a closer look at how they're managing this project. still, it's kinda cool that 1800 people were employed during the pandemic tho 🤝
 
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