> It’s a battle between people who think we can do both, better; and people who seriously believe that a bat tunnel is the best way to spend £120m to support wildlife, a proposition for which no compelling evidence has ever been provided.

Nobody believes that about the bat tunnel. HS2 designed the most expensive thing they could think of because that maximises the profit. They say Natural England approved it but why wouldn't they? In a non-government project the contractors would negotiate with Natural England to agree on the cheapest thing that complied with the law. HS2 presented the most expensive thing and said can we do this? And they got the answer they wanted.

No one involved in building HS2 has any incentive to actually do it on time, there's so much benefit (to the companies) to drag it out.

The longer it takes the more the companies involved in making it receive, because the government will cover the bill.