Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is set to tell MPs that the remaining London‑to‑Birmingham section of HS2 may cost as much as £100 billion, roughly three times the £32.7 billion price tag announced in 2011. The figure, announced in a Commons oral statement, comes after multiple scale‑backs that trimmed the original network to just the eastern leg.

£100 billion ceiling for the London‑Birmingham stretch

Alexander will present a cost range with £100 billion at the top end, equating to about £1 billion per mile of track. According to the Transport Secretary’s upcoming statement, this estimate covers only the segment that remains under construction, excluding the previously planned northern extensions to Leeds and Manchester.

Original £32.7 billion estimate tripled, £150 billion total if full route built

The 2011 business case set HS2’s price at £32.7 billion for the entire scheme. as the project has been trimmed, officials now suggest that completing the full east‑west network would have pushed total costs comfortably beyond £150 billion, a figure that underscores the financial strain of the ambition.

£40 billion already spent, first trains not before 2035

To date, more than £40 billion of public money has been sunk into HS2, according to the Department for Transport. The first trains are now unlikely to run until 2035, a delay driven by slower top speeds and design changes intended to curb expenses.

Who will answer for the overruns? HS2 CEO faces Commons grilling

HS2 chief executive Mark Wild is scheduled to appear before the Commons Transport Committee on Wednesday , where MPs will probe the project’s progress and escalating costs.. This will be the first formal acknowledgment from officials that the London‑Birmingham leg could reach the £100 billion mark.

What remains unclear about the £100 billion projection?

Key unknowns include the exact composition of the £100 billion estimate—whether it factors in land acquisition, inflation adjustments , or contingency buffers. Additionally, the statement does not specify how the cost ceiling will affect funding commitments from the Treasury or potential private investors .