The project has since faced the chopping block. A third phase – which would have carried passengers between London and the northern city of Leeds – has been scrapped entirely, with the government hoping to keep the price closer to £96 billion ($119bn). That's nearly three times the original estimate of £33 billion ($41bn).

Prime minister Rishi Sunak then cancelled the northern section between Birmingham and Manchester in October 2023, saying the move would save £36 billion ($45bn). While the government is still revising its cost estimates, other reports estimate the London to Birmingham line alone will still cost as much as £68 billion (£84bn).

Construction of the rail project is ongoing, and the shortened line is now expected to open between 2029 and 2033, instead of 2026.

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Enormously expensive megaprojects around the world that still aren't finished