The HS2 high-speed rail project has an “unrealistic timetable” and faces major cost pressures, a report by the National Audit Office has said.
The £56bn programme has too ambitious a schedule and rising costs could mean that not all its intended benefits are delivered, the NAO said.
The NAO said the 2026 target opening date for the first phase was “at risk, despite good progress”.
But HS2 Ltd said it was confident that it could achieve its objectives.
The first phase of HS2, linking London and the West Midlands, is due to be completed in 10 years’ time.
