High-speed rail was touted as a game-changer in Britain. Costs are making the government think twice

The British government is considering scrapping a big chunk of an overdue and over-budget high-speed rail line once touted as a way to attract jobs and investment to northern England. Media report that an announcement is expected this week that the High Speed 2 line from London will end in Birmingham rather than further north in Manchester. The Conservative government insists no final decision has been made. But Cabinet minister Grant Shapps said Sunday it is “proper and responsible” to reconsider a project whose costs have ballooned because of decades-high inflation. The line’s projected cost was estimated at 33 billion pounds in 2011. It has soared to more than 100 billion pounds by some estimates.