Massive under-estimation of projected cost of HS2

I believe there is going to be another report prepared as to the viability of HS2.

I don't know how I missed this earlier report from late 2018, details of which I recently heard on the TV news:

"A former boss of HS2 has claimed MPs were misled over the true cost of the project. He says the price tag Parliament was given for the high speed rail line was "hundreds of millions of pounds too low".

"Most of that under-estimating was due to not calculating correctly how much it would cost the Government to buy properties along the route."

In the report that I heard recently, a senior employee rejected the figures that had been accepted, claiming that compensation costs were massively under-stated - giving, as an example, some properties near Euston Station being given a nil value. He claimed that before attending a meeting in which he was going to voice this opinion, he was dismissed.

Whether there is any truth in that or not I don't know but recent reports state that HS2 costs are "spiralling out of control" and are likely to increase by a further £30 billion, or more.

In my ignorance, I initially thought HS2 was a good idea - until I heard that it would shave, at most, only 20 minutes of the current travelling time. It seems to me that this huge amount of money should have been spent on improving the rail system in the North which, by all accounts, is totally inadequate and not fit for purpose.

The further element of possible deception/corruption seems to be yet another example of our government's complete inpetitude to properly interrogate the projected costs and benefits of various major projects. This seems to be a constant theme in Britain - similar issues have been experienced regarding Crossrail. It has not been completed on time and the costs are, as usual, way above what was initially quoted. But, again as usual, despite these failure bosses have received substantial bonuses.