Why London pays more for transport infrastructure projects
A study looking at tram, metro and rail projects across 14 countries, concluded that transport infrastructure of all kinds, from railways to roads, tramlines to Metros, are more expensive to build in the UK.1
Britain Remade found Britain builds trams at twice the cost of the European average and almost four times the cost of trams in Germany. When it comes to electrifying railways, Britain pays three times more for a single mile of track than Germany. High Speed 2 (HS2) is expected to be nine times more expensive than the Tours to Bordeaux high speed line.2
According to reports, Madrid tripled the length of its metro system in just 12 years — faster and cheaper than almost any other city in the world. Madrid was reportedly able to build so much because of its low-cost approach: The 35-mile (56 kilometre) program of expansion between 1995 and 1999 cost around $2.8 billion (in 2024 prices). London’s Jubilee Line Extension, built at the same time as Madrid’s expansion, cost nearly ten times more per mile than Madrid’s program.3
Tomorrow, the London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee will hear from experts on why the cost for building transport infrastructure in the UK is much higher than neighbouring countries.
Guests are:
- Ben Hopkinson, Head of Housing & Infrastructure, Centre for Policy Studies
- Dr Alexander Budzier, Chief Executive Officer, Oxford Global Projects
- Gareth Dennis, Railway Engineer and writer, Railnatter
The meeting will take place on Wednesday 23 July 2025 from 10am in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
- Britain Remade, Rail Transport Infrastructure Costs
- Britain Remade, Rail Transport Infrastructure Costs
- Works in Progress, How Madrid built its metro cheaply, 5 December 2024
- Neil Garratt AM, Chairman of the Budget and Performance Committee, is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Budget and Performance Committee.
- Read the agenda in full.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more information, please contact Tony Smyth in the Assembly Media Office on 07763 251727 or [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer.