The government is considering reducing the speed of HS2 trains as part of a wider effort to contain costs and avoid further delays to the troubled high-speed rail project.
Ministers are expected to order HS2 Ltd to assess the feasibility of running trains below the originally planned maximum speed of 360km/h (224mph) on the line between London and Birmingham – a move that could save billions but could reduce one of the defining features of the scheme.
The proposal is part of a broader review led by Transportation Secretary Heidi Alexander, which is exploring ways to bring the project back under control after years of cost overruns and delays.
The total cost of HS2 is now expected to exceed £100 billion in today’s prices, with the completion date of the first London–Birmingham section likely to slip past the current target of 2033.
The long-awaited “reset” plan, being developed by chief executive Mark Wild, is expected to set out an updated timetable and budget, although publication has been delayed until after the May election.
Wild, who previously led the Crossrail project, was brought in to stabilize the scheme and restore confidence after the government described the scheme as a “disgusting mess”.
HS2 was originally designed as one of the fastest conventional trains in the world, with a maximum operating speed of 360km/h. However, achieving and guaranteeing those speeds presents significant technical and financial challenges.
Testing trains at full speed would require a dedicated test track or a fully filled track, both options which could add years to the project timeline and increase additional costs. Another consideration is testing trains overseas, possibly in China, where suitable high-speed infrastructure already exists.
Conversely, reducing the initial operating speed can simplify test requirements, reduce engineering complexity and speed up delivery, albeit at the cost of subject cycle times.
For context, most UK rail services operate at speeds of up to 200km/h (125mph), while high-speed services on HS1, the Channel Tunnel route, reach 300km/h.
The potential change highlights the ongoing tension between operational ambitions and financial realities. While HS2 was conceived as a high-speed network linking London with major cities including Manchester and Leeds, the northern legs of the project have already been scrapped, setting back its original vision.
Under current plans, trains will continue to run from Birmingham to Manchester using the existing infrastructure on the West Coast Main Line, which operates at lower speeds than on the purpose-built HS2 track.
Critics argue that it also risks undermining the project’s value proposition, while proponents say that active repairs are needed to ensure completion.
This update comes as major construction events, including tunnels, viaducts and earthworks, continue to take place on the route, as the project is still years away from completion.
The Government is under increasing pressure to demonstrate that HS2 can be delivered within a realistic budget and time frame, particularly given the wider funding constraints and competing infrastructure priorities.
Slowing down the trains, although politically sensitive, is emerging as one of the few options being considered to get the project back on track.
Whether that compromise will prove acceptable will depend on how it balances the cost savings against the initial promise of high-speed rail, a question that may define the next phase of HS2’s evolution.
