Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 27
27
Acknowledged
Advanced HS2 stations provide valuable data for later phases and integrated development
Conclusion
In comparison the Department and HS2 Ltd noted that other HS2 stations may be less complex or already more advanced in their progress than Euston, such as Curzon Street in Birmingham, where HS2 Ltd told us that the civil works is 40% complete. In the case of the more advanced stations, the Department also believes that it will be able to draw out from them more accurate information, such as construction costs, to help better manage later phases of the programme.68 HS2 Ltd also saw an important lesson from the development at King’s Cross to bring into the reset at Euston is how the station was developed as part of an integrated campus and not in isolation.69 65 Q 116; High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill - Parliamentary Bills 66 Q 116 67 Q 116 68 Qq 7, 56, 116; 69 Qq 54–55, 60 HS2 Euston 17
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledged the committee's observation about drawing lessons from more advanced stations, stating it actively shares learning from mature projects like Birmingham Curzon Street with less mature ones such as Euston and Manchester Piccadilly.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2025 6.2 The department has a strong culture of learning lessons from managing major rail programmes, which includes working with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority in order to learn lessons from Crossrail. The department made the decision not to proceed to full construction of Euston Station in the next two years due to affordability and profiling issues. It will continue to apply lessons learnt across phases of the HS2 programme. 6.3 A culture of lessons learned is actively encouraged within the department, and specific initiatives are promoted in the individual directorates running each part of the HS2 project, including a structured learning and development programme, peer-to-peer learning, mentoring, and shadowing and facilitated workshops. 6.4 As part of the Euston Reset Programme, the department is working to identify the cost drivers of the previous station cost estimate of £4.8 billion. High Speed Rail Group is learning from the more mature elements of the HS2 programme, including those from Birmingham Curzon Street and other major projects in the department's portfolio. These are being actively shared with projects that are less mature. 6.5 HS2 Ltd are undertaking work in order to understand the key cost drivers of the current station design and the reasons why the station cost increased following the move to a 10-platform single-stage build design in 2021. The department is also keen to understand appropriate lessons to enact as part of the Euston Reset Programme. Learning, both within the department and at HS2 Ltd will be shared with colleagues developing Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham Curzon Street stations. 6.6 The department is working with delivery partners to complete the optioneering stage of the Euston Reset Programme. Once appropriate options have been identified, the department will undertake a sift process in which only solutions that are deliverable cross-campus will be considered.