HS2 bosses could explore the possibility of making the high-speed trains slower as ministers consider ways to cut spiralling costs on the beleaguered scheme.
The government is expected to tell the project’s leaders to officially explore the option of reducing the train’s speed in order to avoid sending them abroad or face delays to testing.
Under the current specifications, the trains are set to have a maximum speed of 360kmph (224mph), making them the fastest trains anywhere in the world.
However, this could now be reduced. Transport minister Heidi Alexander is said to be “weighing up all options” to claw back taxpayer time and money.
Government sources say if the trains were built to current speed specifications, they would either have to be sent to China to be tested on existing tracks already engineered to run at that speed, or wait until such a track was built in the UK.
They say it could delay completion by several years and cost billions more.
“It’s no secret that HS2 was originally conceived as a gold-plated project,” a source with knowledge of the plans told The Independent.
“Following a litany of failure, this government is doing the hard work to pull HS2 out of the dirt and get on with delivery.
“As we reset the project, we will take every opportunity to claw as much time and taxpayers’ money back as possible, as we deliver this railway line as fast as possible.
“This is the team that turned the overbudget and delayed Crossrail project into the much-loved Elizabeth line. We have done it before, we will do it again.”
But the TSSA, the union representing staff employed by HS2, has said the suggestion to run trains at a slower speed is “very unwise”.
“HS2 must be safe but instead of offering a choice between further delays or reduced speeds ministers should be seeking solutions now so that HS2 is running at full speed on day one,” TSSA general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said.
“Frankly, anything else will leave Britain in the slow lane not just in comparison with other countries in Europe but also China. HS2 is vital because a vibrant growing economy in the 21st century needs reliable high-speed rail links.”
Last year, Ms Alexander told the Commons she was drawing a “line in the sand” over the project, which she described as an “appalling mess”.
She is expected to give a six-monthly update to parliament through a written statement on Monday afternoon.
HS2 was originally planned to run between Euston and Birmingham, then on to Manchester and Leeds, but the project was severely curtailed by the Conservatives in 2023 because of spiralling costs.
In 2013, HS2 was estimated to cost £37.5bn (at 2009 prices) for the entire planned network, including the now-scrapped extensions from Birmingham. But in June 2024, HS2 Ltd assessed the cost for the line between London and Birmingham would be up to £61.8bn, excluding Euston.
A revised cost and schedule for HS2 will be published this year following a comprehensive review by chief executive Mark Wild, who began his role in December 2024.
A DfT spokesperson said: “We do not comment on speculation.
“Following years of mismanagement, poor decisions and spiralling costs, the government has taken decisive action to reset HS2 and ensure the safe delivery of the line between Birmingham and London at the lowest reasonable cost.
“We will share an update on the reset’s progress shortly.”
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