HS2 bill could rise to £102bn with first trains delayed until 2039, government admits
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#1
The British government has conceded that the HS2 high-speed railway, the nation's most ambitious infrastructure project in decades, could ultimately cost taxpayers up to £102.7 billion.
英國政府已承認，作為該國數十年來最雄心勃勃的基礎設施項目，英國高速鐵路2號最終可能耗費納稅人高達 1027 億英鎊。
#2
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander revealed the updated figures following a comprehensive fifteen-month review, acknowledging that the project now exceeds its original budget by approximately £70 billion.
交通大臣海蒂·亞歷山大在進行了為期十五個月的全面審查後，公佈了更新後的數據，並承認該項目目前的支出已超出原始預算約 700 億英鎊。
#3
Had the previous administration exercised greater fiscal oversight, such staggering cost overruns might have been substantially mitigated.
若前任政府曾行使更嚴格的財政監督，如此驚人的成本超支或許就能大幅減輕。
#4
According to the revised timeline, the first trains between Old Oak Common in west London and Birmingham Curzon Street will not commence operations until between 2036 and 2039.
根據修訂後的時間表，往返於西倫敦的老橡樹公地與伯明翰柯曾街之間的首班列車，要到 2036 年至 2039 年之間才會開始營運。
#5
The full railway, extending from London Euston to join the west coast mainline in Staffordshire, is projected to reach completion no earlier than 2043.
整條鐵路從倫敦尤斯頓延伸至斯塔福德郡與西海岸主線匯合，預計最快要到 2043 年才能完工。
#6
This represents a delay of thirteen years compared with the original schedule, raising profound questions about government accountability in managing large-scale transport policy.
這代表與原定時程相比延遲了十三年，引發了關於政府在管理大規模運輸政策中問責制度的深刻質疑。
#7
Alexander attributed the budget escalation primarily to failures under the previous Conservative administration, characterising the project as the world's most expensive slow-motion catastrophe.
亞歷山大將預算攀升主要歸咎於前任保守黨政府的失敗，並將該項目描述為世界上最昂貴的慢動作災難。
#8
She emphasised that only a third of the increased expenditure resulted from inflation, while the remaining two-thirds stemmed from works omitted from original plans, systematic underestimates, and inefficient delivery.
亞歷山大強調，增加的支出中只有三分之一是由通貨膨脹造成的，而其餘的三分之二則源於原始計劃中遺漏的工程、系統性的低估以及效率低下的交付。
#9
Not only were critical components overlooked during initial planning, but vast sums were also reportedly spent without laying substantial track.
不僅關鍵組件在最初規劃期間被忽視，據報導，在尚未鋪設實質軌道的情況下，就已經耗費了巨額資金。
#10
The revised estimates, described as the first official economic analysis of HS2's budget in 2026 prices, emerged from a review led by Mark Wild, the chief executive of HS2 Limited.
這些經過修正的估算數據，被描述為首份以 2026 年價格計算的英國高速鐵路2號預算官方經濟分析，源於一項由 HS2 有限公司行政總裁馬克·懷爾德所領導的審查。
#11
Alexander argued that these forecasts were built on solid foundations with credible ranges, distinguishing them from previous projections that had consistently proven unreliable.
亞歷山大主張，這些預測是建立在穩固的基礎與可靠的範圍之上，使其有別於以往一再證明為不可靠的預測。
#12
Were the government to abandon the project entirely at this stage, the sunk costs would nonetheless represent an enormous burden on public finances.
倘若政府在此階段完全放棄該計畫，沉沒成本仍將對公共財政造成巨大負擔。