The opening of HS2 will be delayed beyond the target date of 2033, the government has confirmed, but it did not say when the high speed railway line will begin operating.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said on Wednesday that there was "no route" to delivering the line on schedule and within budget, describing the HS2 project as an "appalling mess".
She said a "litany of failure" had led to missed deadlines and ballooning costs which rose by £37bn between HS2 being approved in 2012 and last year.
It is the latest setback for the high-speed rail project, which has been scaled back and delayed repeatedly.
Announcing the delay in the House of Commons, Alexander said: "It gives me no pleasure to deliver news like this.
