For 18-year‑old Zara Ahmed, the dream of studying at a London art school felt closer after her family heard news of the HS2 rail link.
“We thought it’d be a game-changer,” she says, recalling the promise of a smoother commute and more time with her parents in Birmingham. But on June 18, hope was tempered when Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed HS2 would now miss its 2033 opening, pushing the finish line still further out, with costs spiralling past £100 billion.
Zara’s story is far from unique. While politicians mutter about budget reviews and “fundamental resets”, it’s families, businesses, and students across the West Midlands who face a future etched with frustration — and the tough question: what now?
Take Tom Jenkins, 42, a father of two from Erdington, in Birmingham. He works as an IT engineer in central London and had planned to rely on HS2 to shave nearly 30 minutes off his daily commute.
“My daughter’s ballet show, my son’s football match — I thought I could be there, be more present,” he explains. With the delay, Tom’s still bound to lengthy train trips or unreliable car journeys.
“We’ve lost hours and weekends to travel. It’s not just frustration — it’s missed moments, missed life,” he says, sighing.
Down at Directions, a small boutique tucked next to New Street station for more than two decades, shop-owner Mohammed Anwar worries about the future clientele. “We’ve had a tough post-Covid recovery,” he says. “HS2 arriving in Birmingham would’ve brought more footfall — tourists, commuters, connections.”
Mohammed is not alone. A letter from Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce signed by over 400 regional firms pleaded for HS2 to stay the course, warning that scaled‑back plans would make investors think twice. “It isn’t just about one train line,” they argued. “It’s a statement of belief in the Midlands.”
On site near Curzon Street, construction worker Lisa Patel wipes dust from her face as she watches engineers adjust plans yet again. “I joined a year ago,” she says. “There was pride in building something big — faster journeys, greener connections.”
Now, as phases are delayed and budgets trimmed, Lisa worries whether the promise will ever arrive. “It’s not just me — it’s the apprentices, the local jobs dependent on this. It shakes your confidence.”
Simon Hamlyn of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors has warned that stopping and starting will drive young people away from the profession. Infrastructure needs a more reliable commitment, not broken timelines.
HS2 has become a political lightning rod. Critics like Nigel Farage claim scrapping it would be sensible; Heidi Alexander called the current project an “appalling mess”. The Competition & Markets Authority has launched an inquiry into structural failures in major projects like HS2
But amid the headlines, local voices ask a simpler question: when will it benefit us? For students like Zara, that answer determines whether she can afford to split studies between Birmingham and London without sacrificing family support.
For commuters like Tom, it determines whether he can keep up with work while being there for his children. For entrepreneurs like Mohammed, it decides whether his shop thrives or gets priced out by missed opportunity.
