The chief executive of the HS2 railway has resigned amid severe delays and soaring costs that have seen the project scaled back.
Mark Thurston announced on Wednesday he would be departing the government-owned company at the end of September after six and a half years at the helm – making him the firm’s longest serving chief executive.
The HS2 chair, Sir Jon Thompson, will take over as executive chair for an interim period while a new chief executive is recruited.
The scheme, which the government pledged would drive investment and economic growth in the north, has been delayed repeatedly to between 2029 and 2033 due to spiralling costs and construction difficulties.
Thurston’s resignation comes as major work is taking place at more than 350 sites and the first phase of the project between London and Birmingham is at peak construction.
It follows a bruising report from parliament’s public accounts committee (PAC) last week that urged the Department for Transport (DfT) to “finally establish” its expectations for HS2’s London Euston terminus.
MPs said the government “does not know what it is trying to achieve” with the station, after its construction was paused – along with other parts of HS2 – in March by the transport secretary, Mark Harper. HS2 trains are now not expected to run in to Euston until 2041 at the earliest, after initially being scheduled for 2026.
The DfT has been under severe pressure to find cost savings on the project as soaring inflation means the cost of raw materials has increased significantly.
Part of the line between Birmingham, Crewe and Manchester was delayed by two years in the spring – meaning the line to Crewe may not be open until 2036, and it will not reach Manchester until 2043. The eastern section, between the Midlands and Leeds, was scrapped in 2021.
Thurston, 56, said the project was the “highlight of my career” and the “next 18-24 months will see the project move into an exciting new stage”.
He added: “I have agreed with the board that someone else should lead the organisation and programme through what will be another defining period for HS2.”
HS2’s latest annual report shows he was paid a salary of £617,300 in the 2021-22 financial year and also received benefits worth £5,400. His total renumeration of £622,683 made him the UK’s best-paid civil servant.
The previous chief executive at HS2, Simon Kirby, held the position between 2014 and 2017, and was preceded by Alison Munro who was in place from 2009 to 2014.
Harper said: “As well as successfully overseeing the start of construction, [Thurston] has ensured HS2 has created tens of thousands of skilled jobs and apprenticeships across the country.
“As HS2 enters its next phase, the government remains committed to unlocking all the benefits of this flagship infrastructure scheme – increasing rail capacity, connecting communities and growing the economy.”
