A series of conversations with some of the key leaders and influencers from across the UK infrastructure sector, produced and hosted by journalist and commentator Antony Oliver.
Latest episode
The Infrastructure Podcast: Episode 128
Guest: Sally Gimson, author of "Off the Rails - the inside story of HS2".
HS2 - Off the Rails
In today's bumper post summer special episode we return to the HS2 project - infrastructure’s poster child for delay and cost overrun – as we discuss the content of a brand new book examining how this project went, as the title suggests, so badly Off the Rails.
Few infrastructure projects in British history have generated as much debate and scrutiny as HS2; becoming a lightning rod for wider conversations about the UK’s ability to deliver major infrastructure on time, on budget, and with public trust.
And as we heard in episode 122 with James Stewart, for many, the project was flawed from day 1, with questions hanging heavy over its value for money, environmental impact, and the opportunity costs of such vast investment.
Yet supporters hail it as a vital means to rebalance the UK’s economy, boosting connectivity and capacity and securing the nation’s greener transport future.
My guest today is journalist and author Sally Gimson who has spent the last few years getting stuck into the history, politics and personalities of the project. She has delivered it all up as “Off the Rails” a compelling and informing read that gets under the skin of the project and attempt to make sense of the madness that has surrounded the project.
From spiralling costs and shifting political priorities to the complex realities of engineering one of the most ambitious transport schemes in Europe, Sally has explored why HS2 has faced challenges at every stage.
To be fair, few observers have had the time—or the courage—to dig into the full story, unpicking the web of decisions, ambitions, and compromises that have shaped HS2’s journey. Sally has done just that, revealing what the project says about the UK’s infrastructure machine.
It’s a story that blends ambition and caution, engineering brilliance and political miscalculation, and one that goes far beyond a single railway line. In short, it's a fascinating and compelling read.
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Antony Oliver Consulting
Editorial consultancy services for the infrastructure sector
Antony works with a range of clients across the infrastructure sector, helping to boost their communication and marketing strategies and delivery so as to stimulate discussion and action in the industry.
This work includes:
- editorial support and creation
- event organisation, preparation and delivery
- round table discussion hosting and workshop/team facilitation
- video and podcasting
He has spent the last 30 years working as a journalist and editor across the infrastructure sector. Having joined New Civil Engineer magazine in 1994, he edited the title for 14 years until 2013, expanding NCE from a traditional paper magazine to deliver live events and conferences and then embrace the expanding world of multi-media digital delivery.
In 2014 he left NCE to create and launch Infrastructure Intelligence, a new digital-first publication for the sector, and for two years led and developed this ground-breaking media brand for the Association for Engineering and Consultancy.
He is a chartered civil engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, having started his career with Owen Williams and Partners and Balfour Beatty. He is committed to driving change across the UK infrastructure sector and is a Trustee of the Built Environment Trust and a Director of the Building Centre in Store Street, London.
antony@antonyoliver.com
The next episode of the Infrastructure Podcast will be published on Monday 8th September 2025.
