Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation 25

25

Bat protection structure increased specific railway section costs from £73 million to £168 million.

Conclusion
In follow–up evidence, the Department confirmed that the total cost of building the structure will be £95 million (in 2019 prices). The Department also reported that the cost of building that section of the railway, irrespective of any mitigation works, would have been £73 million, meaning that the bat structure more than doubled the costs of that section of railway to £168 million.43
Government Response

A response document is linked to this report, dated 16 May 2025. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document ↗