The Transport Secretary has instructed HS2 Ltd to examine new options to simplify the high‑speed rail programme, in a move the government says could cut billions in costs, reduce delays, and deliver faster journeys sooner for passengers.
The decision forms part of a wider government “reset” of HS2 following years of mismanagement, with ministers now pushing for a more efficient, streamlined approach that accelerates progress on one of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects.
HS2 was originally designed to run at 360km/h, which would make it the fastest conventional high‑speed service anywhere in the world. However, no railway currently operating globally, including in the UK, is engineered for that speed.
Under the existing plan, HS2 would need to wait for fully completed track sections before any train testing could begin, creating major cost and schedule pressures. HS2 Ltd’s new CEO, Mark Wild, has now been tasked with evaluating alternative high‑speed options, including running trains at 300–320km/h – the international standard used by HS1, Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains, and France’s TGV network.
According to the government, reducing maximum speeds would have a negligible impact on journey times while significantly cutting construction complexity and allowing trains to come into service sooner.
Wild is expected to report back to the Transport Secretary in the summer, alongside a full progress update and refreshed cost and schedule estimates.
Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, said:
“This government is determined to deliver HS2 as effectively and efficiently as possible. In doing so, I will look at every opportunity to claw back construction time, save taxpayers money and ensure the project delivers for the country.
“I share the public’s anger about the waste and mess of the past which is why this government is pulling HS2 out of its sclerosis and setting it on a more sensible course. We’re getting a grip, controlling costs, and getting on with delivering the transport infrastructure this country needs.”
Despite political scrutiny, HS2’s construction workforce remains substantial, with around 30,000 workers and thousands of UK businesses involved in the project’s delivery. In West London and the West Midlands, the scheme is projected to add £20 billion to the economy and unlock 63,000 new homes over the next decade.
Since taking up leadership, Wild has delivered six major construction milestones ahead of schedule, including:
- Completion of excavation on the 3.5‑mile Bromford Tunnel in the West Midlands, marking the end of excavation on all 23 miles of deep tunnels for the project’s opening phase.
- Sliding a 14,500‑tonne box structure under the A46, the heaviest structure of its type in Europe.
- Completion of the second tunnel boring machine at Old Oak Common, allowing excavation on the Euston Tunnel to begin earlier this year with both machines now operational.
- Lifting out the final tunnel boring machine at Northolt Tunnel, completing the 8.4‑mile dig between West Ruislip and Old Oak Common three months early.
- Installation of beams at Station Road in Buckinghamshire, enabling new road structures to carry traffic over the HS2 and national rail overbridges.
- Completion of the fifth of nine sections of Greatworth Tunnel, part of what will become HS2’s longest green tunnel at 2.7km.
HS2 Ltd Chief Executive, Mark Wild, commented:
“I made a commitment to the Transport Secretary that I would regain control of HS2 and bring an end to the project’s cost increases and delays.
“With performance moving in the right direction, driven by the hard work of 30,000 people on the ground, we are rightly exploring options to create further efficiencies.
“Speed has never been the primary objective. This railway will deliver better journeys, more capacity on the network, and economic growth – all of which are vital to the country’s future prosperity.”
Wild’s upcoming report will determine the next steps for a project that remains one of the most ambitious infrastructure undertakings in Britain’s modern history.
Image credit: iStock
