Massive 3.5-mile underground UK tunnel to link two major cities by 2029
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Brits who regularly commute will see their journey times drastically cut once building is complete for a huge 3.5mile underground tunnel - with connections to a major UK city. The HS2 Bromford Tunnel is being built under Birmingham, with plans for the 140-mile line to be situated between London and the West Midlands. The project to build the high-speed rail line entered the new year strongly, with officials saying "the prize is clear".
The tunnel will help passengers slash their journey times between Birmingham and London. Officials hope the project will also help "boost economic growth" and said it will be a "significant investment in Britain's future." It comes after the development was earlier hit with delays and increasing costs. Bromford tunnel was initially meant to launch in 2026, but now people won't be able to use it until 2029 at the earliest.
Despite the project falling behind schedule, Mark Wild, chief executive of HS2 Ltd, said it is important that the railway opens “safely and efficiently”. Last month, HS2 Ltd estimated the cost of building the railway would be between £54 and £66 billion in 2019 prices – between £67 and £83 billion in current prices.
But appearing before the Commons Public Accounts Committee, the Department for Transport’s top civil servant Dame Bernadette Kelly said these figures were not “reliable” and an agreed estimate was unlikely to be produced until “well into 2025”. Mr Wild, who joined HS2 Ltd at the start of December, said at the time: “New railways provide better journeys and they boost economic growth by fuelling investment in communities and businesses. The prize is clear.
