The news that HS2 Ltd have suffered a set-back on timescales is something that we seem to report on a constant loop here on the Stop HS2 website, the same way that whenever this happens, HS2 Ltd issue a statement saying it’s not a delay and everything is still on schedule, blah, blah, blah.
Well this time it doesn’t seem to be the greatest of delays, but it’s the second of a last minute deadline extension. HS2 Ltd had originally said they would be announcing their preferred bidders for Phase 1 enabling works this month, i.e. in August. Well last month they said they would be a month late, and this month they’ve decided to add another month onto that, so they don’t expect to be ready to make an announcement until October.
Yes, a two month extension isn’t the greatest slippage we’ve ever had, compared to the promise in 2014 that the Phase 2 route would be announced in ‘Autumn’, something we are still waiting for. But it does very much raise the question of when construction of the line could actually start, as enabling works are the things you have to do before you can start building. This will include things like moving the utility pipes, something which will be a massive task in Camden for instance.
This is of course assuming they won’t add on another month in September……