U.K. High-Speed Rail Seen Costing as Much as 80 Billion Pounds

The planned high-speed rail line connecting London and northern England may cost as much as 80 billion pounds ($125 billion), more than projected by the government, according to the Institute of Economic Affairs.

Lobbying from local officials for new links to the line, known as HS2, and changes to the route due to opposition from residents will probably add about 30 billion pounds to the project’s total cost, the institute will say in a report to be published tomorrow. The government now estimates expenses at 42.6 billion pounds, according to the report.