First, the honest truth: HS2 is not finished. It’s like that friend who said they’d be ready in ten minutes, but you’re now on hour three, and they’re still looking for their other sock. The original dream—a shiny new line from London to Manchester and Leeds—got chopped in half by the government. The bit to Leeds? Gone. Poof. Like a leftover pizza slice at 2 AM.
But here’s the kicker: a surprising amount is actually built. You see, HS2 isn’t one thing; it’s a series of massive, muddy projects. If you drive past the outskirts of London, you’ll spot giant concrete viaducts rising from the earth like a giant’s game of Jenga. They’re not ruins. They’re real structures, complete with workers in hi-vis vests who look like they’re rehearsing for a dystopian sci-fi film.
The London bit: a tunnel with a personality
Around London, they’ve dug miles of tunnels. I’m talking hamster-tube-sized passages for trains that will eventually zip under the city. Imagine the world’s longest, most expensive subway chase scene, but without Jason Bourne. The tunnel boring machines have names like “Cecilia” and “Dorothy”—which is the most British thing ever. You bought a £100 billion train, and you gave the digging robot a name like your nan’s cat.
So far, the tunnels from Euston to Old Oak Common are mostly done. That’s like saying you’ve finished the first three chapters of a 10-chapter book. You’re not at the cliffhanger yet, but you’ve definitely gotten past the boring (pun intended) introduction. The actual station at Euston? Still a demolition site that looks like a car park exploded.
