Mace Group, a contractor working on HS2, has slated government indecisiveness over the rail project, arguing the UK had become "challenging" to work in.
Group chief executive Mark Reynolds criticised handling of the project, as speculation builds that the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the high-speed railway could be scrapped entirely.
Reynolds told the BBC he had heard about the potential cuts through media reports “like everyone else”, despite Mace being the main contractor in redesigning London’s Euston Station for its connection to HS2.
HS2 had originally encompassed plans for a high-speed link from London to Birmingham and then on to Manchester and Leeds.
Plans for the eastern link to Leeds were scrapped in 2021, however, while the line’s underground connection from outer to central London has also been delayed.
Despite Mace Group’s key part in the project, Reynolds suggested contractors faced a lack of certainty from the government over the project.
“One minute the prime minister and the chancellor started telling everyone that the rail line is going to Euston and three weeks later, they said no, it's being paused for two years,” he said.
"We had to demobilise over 1,200 people, designers [and] supply chain contractors on site."
Soaring costs have seen plans for HS2 face ever-increasing scrutiny, prompting rumours of further cuts to the project.
In response, Reynolds pointed out that major schemes like HS2 were rarely abandoned, especially in the UK.