Government proposes running slower HS2 trains to speed up project completion as work continues in Bucks
The Government is exploring plans to adjust the speed of HS2 trains, to accelerate the completion of the scheme.
The transport secretary is urging the project to consider adjusting the top speeds of the trains in the hopes that it could save billions of pounds.
It was revealed by the Department for Transport that originally HS2 trains were expected to run at 360km/h, which would have made them the fastest conventional high-speed trains anywhere in the world.
However, the Government is now looking to deliver the scheme with trains operating at 300-320km/h. This announcement forms part of the Government’s plans to reassess the overall HS2 project, which it claims, has been mismanaged in previous years.
Buckinghamshire is not served by the HS2 project but several construction projects have taken place in the area as part of the scheme. In Aylesbury Vale, work is ongoing to ensure that trains on the new line do not intercept with the existing rail network.
Among the major projects in Bucks are its Chiltern tunnel which starts in South Heath near Great Missenden and passes through to the Hertfordshire-Buckinghamshire border in West Hyde. A major viaduct has been constructed in Wendover to facilitate the new rail line.
According to the DfT’s estimations, the difference in times between trains running at the slower speeds and original plans, will be negligible.
New projections are in line with speeds reached by Japan’s world-famous bullet trains.
Ms Alexander 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."
Mark Wild, who was appointed as a ceo of HS2 Ltd in December 2024, will report to the transport secretary this summer with revised projections for the scheme, which will deliver new trains between Birmingham and London.