The government is considering reducing the operating speed of HS2 trains as part of a wider effort to contain costs and avoid further delays on the troubled high-speed rail project.
Ministers are expected to instruct HS2 Ltd to assess the feasibility of running trains below the originally planned top speed of 360km/h (224mph) on the line between London and Birmingham — a move that could save billions but would dilute one of the scheme’s defining features.
The proposal forms part of a broader review led by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, who is examining options to bring the project back under control after years of cost overruns and delays.
HS2’s total cost is now expected to exceed £100 billion in today’s prices, with the completion date for the initial London–Birmingham phase likely to slip beyond the current 2033 target.
A long-awaited “reset” plan, being developed by chief executive Mark Wild, is expected to set out a revised timetable and budget, although its publication has been delayed until after the May elections.
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