United Kingdom: Behind the scenes of the English TGV fiasco

In the United Kingdom, the concept of high-speed rail seems like a fantasy, as there are no TGVs in the country. Trains speeding at over 300 km/h through the English countryside, like in Europe, were, however, the project that was supposed to see the light of day in 2026. The High Speed ​​2 (HS2) line was supposed to open up the north of England. But it turned into a monumental fiasco.

In the centre of the country, Deborah's village was on the route of the future high-speed rail line: "The tunnel was supposed to go right under this hill, lots of houses were left abandoned," she says, driving her car, lamenting "we're a ghost town." Around fifty homeowners were forced to sell their homes to the British state to make way for the new railway, which ultimately never saw the light of day.

Faced with spiraling costs, the United Kingdom has pulled the emergency brake, abandoning the northern section of the project. The remaining 200-km section, linking Birmingham to London, is also reportedly in jeopardy, falling ten years behind schedule and costing €120 billion.

Comprehensive list.

Watch the full report in the video above