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(BUTTON) Search with google * Make a contribution * Subscribe * (BUTTON) International edition + switch to the UK edition + switch to the US edition + switch to the Australia edition * Search jobs * Dating * Holidays * Digital Archive * Discount Codes * The Guardian app * Video * Podcasts * Pictures * Newsletters * Today's paper * Inside the Guardian * The Observer * Guardian Weekly * Crosswords * Facebook * Twitter * Search jobs * Dating * Holidays * Digital Archive * Discount Codes * UK * UK politics * Education * Media * Society * Law * Scotland * Wales * Northern Ireland (BUTTON) More HS2 This article is more than 1 year old HS2 misled MPs about cost of high-speed rail project - whistleblower This article is more than 1 year old Cost estimates were hundreds of millions of pounds too low, Panorama investigation told Matthew Weaver Mon 17 Dec 2018 08.33 GMT Last modified on Mon 17 Dec 2018 13.37 GMT * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share via Email Excavation work for HS2 at Euston station in London [ ] Excavation work for HS2 at Euston station in London. Photograph: HS2 The decision to approve the HS2 high-speed rail project was based on cost estimates that were hundreds of millions of pounds too low, a former senior staff member of the company has claimed. Doug Thornton told the BBC’s Panorama programme the company had misled MPs about a project whose budget spiralled from an original estimate of £34bn to £56bn amid leaked Treasury worries that the eventual cost will be more than £100bn. Thornton said he was “appalled” that inaccurate estimates about purchasing land needed for the project could be put forward in a “such a loose and slapdash fashion”. “There was a gap of almost 100% in terms of the wrong numbers of properties that the organisation had not budgeted for,” he told the programme, which is due to be broadcast on Monday night. Thornton said HS2’s management ignored warnings about the faulty estimates, before he left his post. Another whistleblower told Panorama that HS2 was using higher estimates about the cost of land than MPs had when they voted to approve the project. HS2 denied it misled parliament and insisted it followed the correct procedures for updating MPs on the changing budget. Last week, Sir Terry Morgan, the chairman of both Crossrail and Hs2, resigned amid anger about cost overruns at Crossrail. The HS2 chief executive, Mark Thurston, told Panorama: “I’m not worried about overspending. I’m confident we’ve got a budget we can stand by.” The government has vowed to press on with HS2 despite fears about rising costs. Last week, answering questions on behalf of the government in the House of Lords, Lord Young acknowledged the project was expensive but said phase one funding had not increased since 2015. Young said phase one, from London to the West Midlands, was scheduled to cost £27.18bn at 2015 prices. “We are determined to keep it within that cost estimate,” he said. A Department of Transport spokesman said: “HS2 is already underway with 7,000 people and 2,000 businesses working on building what will become the backbone of Britain’s rail network. “HS2 Ltd is working with its supply chain to ensure the project stays within the funding envelope set by the government.” Topics * HS2 * Rail transport * Transport * news * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share via Email * Share on LinkedIn * Share on Pinterest * Share on WhatsApp * Share on Messenger * Reuse this content more on this story * Human Jam: the hair-raising stories from HS2's exhumation of Euston's dead Haunted by the 60,000 bodies being disinterred to make way for High Speed Rail 2, Guardian comedy critic Brian Logan set out to connect Euston’s past and present Published: 6 May 2019 Human Jam: the hair-raising stories from HS2's exhumation of Euston's dead * HS2: parliament misled about true cost, says Labour peer Deputy chair of government review into project claims HS2 chiefs ‘fiddled the figures’ Published: 5 Jan 2020 HS2: parliament misled about true cost, says Labour peer * HS2 costs head north just as its value falls south Nils Pratley The review panel’s advice to plough on despite rising costs is astonishing Published: 12 Nov 2019 Published: 12 Nov 2019 HS2 costs head north just as its value falls south * Tories told to back HS2 rail link or face decades in opposition Business leaders in north of England issue warning to party leadership hopefuls Published: 20 Apr 2019 Tories told to back HS2 rail link or face decades in opposition * + Co-author of leaked HS2 report demands his name is removed Published: 12 Nov 2019 Co-author of leaked HS2 report demands his name is removed + Camden to get Hollywood-style Music Walk of Fame Published: 14 Nov 2018 Camden to get Hollywood-style Music Walk of Fame + This is a final chance to scrap HS2. What the north really needs is ‘HS3’ Simon Jenkins Published: 16 Apr 2019 Published: 16 Apr 2019 This is a final chance to scrap HS2. What the north really needs is ‘HS3’ + Politicians' anger at threat to HS2 Leeds-Sheffield rail route Published: 5 Oct 2019 Politicians' anger at threat to HS2 Leeds-Sheffield rail route (BUTTON) More more on this story Most popular * UK * UK politics * Education * Media * Society * Law * Scotland * Wales * Northern Ireland * News * Opinion * Sport * Culture * Lifestyle IFRAME: /email/form/footer/today-uk + Contact us + Complaints & corrections + SecureDrop + Work for us + Privacy policy + Cookie policy + Terms & conditions + Help + All topics + All writers + Digital newspaper archive + Facebook + Twitter + Advertise with us + Search UK jobs + Dating + Discount Codes Support The Guardian Available for everyone, funded by readers Contribute Subscribe Back to top © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 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