Comment: HS2's high costs and a better planning regime for projects

Railway infrastructure never stands alone. It interacts with the wider transport infrastructure and shapes the landscape around it. It affects roads, rights of way, local wildlife, people’s residences, and much more.

Inevitably, investment in rail means investment in the infrastructure it crosses, too. And that can add a surprising amount to the costs of a major rail project such as HS2, as Mel Holley explores in our feature on page 26.