HS2 has reported a year of steady construction progress in 2025, even as the project undergoes a far-reaching reset aimed at restoring confidence in its cost control, sequencing and delivery timetable.
Figures published by HS2 Ltd show that work on the initial section of the railway between London and Birmingham advanced significantly over the past year. All 23 miles of deep-bore tunnels on the route between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street have now been excavated, while around 70 per cent of the scheme’s earthworks programme has been completed. Nearly 300,000 tonnes of steel have been installed, representing more than two-thirds of the total required.
The update comes a year after Mark Wild was appointed chief executive of HS2 Ltd, with a mandate to stabilise a programme that has faced repeated delays, cost overruns and political scrutiny. Under his leadership, the company has been undertaking what it describes as a comprehensive reset, reviewing construction sequencing, governance and delivery assumptions while maintaining momentum on site.
HS2 is currently operating at peak construction, with around 350 active sites across the 140-mile route. The focus is now shifting towards completing major civil engineering works, including viaducts, embankments and cuttings, ahead of the later installation of track, signalling and communications systems.
According to HS2 Ltd, contractor performance improved over the year, with partners exceeding several production targets. Around 1,500 viaduct segments were installed in 2025, up from 860 the previous year, alongside the completion of several complex engineering operations, including major tunnel drives and large-scale bridge installations.
Despite the progress, HS2’s leadership has been clear that significant challenges remain. Wild has previously advised ministers that the railway’s earlier opening dates, ranging between 2029 and 2033, were no longer achievable. Work is continuing on revised cost and schedule estimates, which are expected to form a new programme baseline against which future performance will be judged.
The government’s most recent spending review confirmed £25.3bn of funding over four years to deliver the line between London Euston and the West Midlands, providing some medium-term certainty as the reset takes shape.
Alongside construction activity, HS2 Ltd has made changes to its internal structure and leadership. The board has been strengthened with a new chair and additional non-executive directors, while the company has reduced corporate roles and shifted resources towards frontline delivery. New commercial and transformation roles have also been introduced to tighten oversight of contractor payments and decision-making.
Wild said the past year had been about confronting past shortcomings while maintaining safe and productive delivery. He added that the progress made on site provided a more solid foundation for 2026, as the project seeks to demonstrate that Britain’s largest infrastructure scheme can be delivered more predictably and at the lowest reasonable cost.
