CEO of HS2 High-Speed Rail Project, Mark Thurston, Resigns Amid Increasing Pressure and Delays

Thurston, who has been in the role for six and a half years, announced his departure in September, stating that a new leader was needed to oversee the project as it moves into a critical phase of installing railway track and signalling equipment.

Thurston was paid a salary of £617,300 in the 2021-2022 financial year, according to HS2 Ltd's latest annual report, and received additional benefits worth £5,400.

The project was initially expected to open in 2026, but due to construction difficulties and rising costs, the opening date has been pushed back to between 2029 and 2033.

The HS2 project involves major construction work at over 350 sites along the route between London and Birmingham.

However, multiple delays have beset the project, and there have been calls for a public inquiry into the cost-cutting measures taken by the government.

Upon Thurston's departure, Sir Jon Thompson, the HS2 Ltd chairman, will become the interim executive chairman while a new chief executive is hired.

Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, praised Thurston for his role in overseeing the start of construction and creating tens of thousands of jobs and apprenticeships across the country.

However, the HS2 development has faced significant challenges, including delays in the eastern extension and the scrapping of the Crewe-Northwest section.

The project remains a key part of the government's "levelling up" agenda, aimed at improving connectivity between cities in the Midlands, the North, and London.