HS2 trains could run slower than expected to cut spiralling costs
Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent
Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
HS2 may make key change to save money
- The HS2 project is now expected to open after 2033, with the London to Birmingham section delayed beyond its target opening date.
- Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander criticised the project's management as a "litany of failure," citing £37 billion in cost increases due to constant scope changes and ineffective contracts.
- HS2 Ltd CEO Mark Wild indicated that the high-speed rail line might open at "reduced running speeds," potentially 200 mph, to cut spiralling costs and reduce further delays.
- Wild proposed a "staged approach" to simplify the initial railway, aiming to reduce risk, improve reliability, and provide more certainty around costs and opening dates.
- The Prime Minister has tasked the cabinet secretary with investigating the roles of civil servants and public bodies in the project's significant delays and cost overruns.