The 1km-long mesh structure will be built where the London to Birmingham line emerges from a tunnel in woodland in Buckinghamshire, to protect a colony of Bechstein's bats.
Describing it as a "blot on the landscape" with "no evidence" that bats were at risk from the trains, Sir Jon Thompson said: "This shed, you're not going to believe this, cost more than £100m."
Thompson said the railway's budget was partly driven by legal constraints and the demands of conflicting agencies, as well as government indecision, with more than 8,000 permits needed along the route. He gave the example of the Sheephouse Wood bat protection structure, adding: "We call it a shed."
Speaking to the Rail Industry Association conference in London, Thompson said: "To build a railway between Euston and Curzon Street in Birmingham, I need 8,276 consents from other public bodies, planning, transport, the Environment Agency or Natural England. They don't care whether parliament did or didn't approve building a railway."
This story is from the November 08, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 08, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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