The UK's project is the world's most expensive high-speed rail project.

(CLO) At a cost of up to $416 million per mile (1.6 km), the UK's High Speed ​​Rail 2 (HS2) project is considered the most expensive railway project in the world .

In the UK, large infrastructure projects often go over budget. HS2 is no exception, with costs for the project continuing to rise.

Since its commencement in 2012 with an estimated total cost of $42.8 billion for nearly 400 miles of new rail, HS2 has been led by five different CEOs and seven different chairmen. The estimated cost for the first two phases has now risen to $130 billion.

Checking on the progress of the Bromford tunnel construction as part of the UK's massive HS2 railway project. Photo: Christopher Furlong

Work is underway at 350 locations. This includes the deployment of four massive 2,000-ton machines to excavate the new tunnels. Approximately 22.5 km of these have been completed in the three years since construction began.

If completed, HS2 would represent some remarkable achievements in civil engineering. The biggest benefit of the "Y" shaped route is that it would boost growth outside London by creating a new, rapid route between neglected post-industrial areas in the Midlands and northern England. These regions suffer from poor transport links, resulting in low productivity and some of the most underserved in Europe.

The northern entrance to the HS2 tunnel is under construction in Chiltern Hills near Great Missenden. Photo: Chris Gorman

Designed for speeds of 400 km/h, the tracks will accommodate the world's fastest regular trains when they begin operating in the 2030s. The tracks will require significantly less maintenance than traditional lines.

On the ground, HS2 Limited, the parent company tasked with constructing the railway line, along with its contractors, has made every effort to minimize its environmental impact along the route, adjusting the line to limit damage to forests and areas of outstanding natural beauty.

But while prices continued to escalate, public willingness to pay waned. And as construction costs for Phases 1 and 2 soared to an estimated $130 billion, the British government faced increasing pressure to find ways to save money.

Hoai Phuong (according to CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/du-an-duong-sat-toc-do-cao-dat-nhat-the-gioi-cua-vuong-quoc-anh-post321975.html