The addition of the HS2 High-Speed ​​Rail Line (LGV) construction site promises to salt quickly… the cost of the first phase of the line between London and Birmingham has increased by up to 800 million euros. The books, according to the social business daily Financial Times, measures measures to slow the pace of work on construction sites, which relies on sources familiar with the matter. This follows an increase of almost the same magnitude in October. The Financial Times continues, overall, the site’s cost jumped £1.7 billion over the past year, for the project already estimated at $106 billion. Work began in April 2020, with several French construction giants, such as Vinci and Efez, participating.

This massive project will lead to the first line north of London in 150 years and the second high-speed line in the country after the HS1, which is used by Eurostar in the south-east of England. It should link the British capital with major cities in central and northern England. The site, which according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson should help open up the north of the country, which is less well served by transportation, faces strong opposition due to its low cost, but its impact on the environment, Environmentalists condemn the destruction of forests and biodiversity.

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Earlier in the year, authorities had to remove a dozen protesters who had taken refuge in a dug tunnel off London’s Euston station, where work on the HS2 line is underway. A spokesman for the transport ministry linked to AFP assured that the government was determined to “control the cost” of this “new ambitious railway line”.

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He says the impact of COVID-19 has not yet been assessed, but that “inevitable costs that will be recognized as they come will be covered by a government emergency fund”.