It's 2024, and the Manchester extension of HS2 has been cancelled. The leg to Leeds was cancelled in 2021. The remaining line to Birmingham is now less than half the initial planned route, and will cost over double the initial budget. This is not exclusive to HS2; Sprialling costs and missed deadlines have become commonplace in big engineering projects, the UK is now one of the most expensive places in the world to build infrastructure, but Britain has a proud history of engineering, and one name in particular looms large - Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Ruthless, bloody minded and notoriously driven - what could he do about the current state of UK infrastructure?
Presenter: Neil Maggs Producer: Johnny I'Anson Editor: Clare Fordham
Free Speech 2 - I'm Offended
Free Speech 3 - Respect Me, Respect My Religion
Free Speech 4 - Media We Need
Free Speech 5 - Big Brother is Watching
The Deobandis: Part 2
The Deobandis: Part 1
The Philby Tape
Corporate Amnesia
The End of Free
Power to the People?
Labour and the Bomb
Multiculturalism: Newham v Leicester
Inheritance
Brexit: The Irish Question
Space Wars, Space Peace
Tomas Sedlacek: The Economics of Good and Evil
Correspondents' Look Ahead: 2016
Will They Always Hate Us?
Currencies and Countries
Killing Cows
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Global News Podcast
The Infinite Monkey Cage
Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4
You’re Dead to Me
Elis James and John Robins