Latest senior boss steps down from role at troubled HS2 project

One of the senior bosses charged with delivering the HS2 project has quit his job.

Richard Robinson, the chief operating officer at HS2, has left his job after just 12 months.

Richard Robinson

A huge question mark is hanging over the high speed rail link between London and the North after emerged costs have soared by 40% to £88bn.

The project, which has seen a series of high level departures, has also been delayed by seven years.

And Boris Johnson has also called for a review into the project which is being carried out by its former chairman Douglas Oakervee.

Mr Robinson joined HS2 from engineering group Aecom where he performed a variety of senior roles.

Chief executive Mark Thurston said: “We can confirm that chief operating officer Richard Robinson has decided to leave HS2 to take up a new senior role in the private sector. We wish him every success in his new position.”

The departure is the latest in a long line of executives to leave the high-speed rail project.

In December HS2 Chairman Sir Terry Morgan stepped down after just four months to be succeeded by Allan Cook.

This was just three months after Paul Griffiths, the man in charge of the second phase of the project left to take on a new job in Canada.