HS2

The construction industry is divided into two groups of people.

Ask the general public about HS2 and one of the recurring themes that emerges is confusion.

Attitudes to health and safety in the construction sector have evolved a lot over the years.

In October last year, the National College for High Speed Rail opened its new Birmingham and Doncaster campuses with a great deal of fanfare.

The National College for High Speed Rail opened two sites 12 months ago to deliver the skills for HS2’s construction. One year on, funding and student shortfalls have raised questions about its viability, as Lucy Alderson discovers.

People say no news is good news. What HS2 wouldn’t give for even a few weeks of no news.

As the client behind the £55.7bn line approaches its 10th birthday, CN looks at the major pressure points the line has faced on the road to main construction.

“The challenge for the next 12 months is improving the public image,” HS2 chief executive Mark Thurston told me when I interviewed him back in March.

Exclusive: Conflicts of interest, audit scandals, Carillion: HS2’s chief executive has endured a tougher first 12 months in the job than he could have ever imagined. In his first full interview since taking over, Mark Thurston reveals to CN what he has learned.

‘We think 2018 will be steady, but with HS2 it’s going to be much busier in 2019.’