Plans to change HS2 train size could reduce capacity and speed in north, says expert

A review of HS2's train order, intended to cut costs, may instead reduce capacity and slow services for northern passengers, a senior insider warns. | Contesto: cronaca

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• Plans to change HS2 train size could reduce capacity and speed in north, says expert

Contesto

Plans to alter the design of trains for Britain's HS2 high-speed rail line could lead to fewer seats, slower journeys, and higher costs for services running north of Birmingham, a senior government and rail industry figure has warned. The caution comes as HS2 Ltd, the state-owned company delivering the project, reviews a £2bn order for 54 trains originally placed with a British-based joint venture of Alstom and Hitachi. The review is part of a wider effort to renegotiate contracts and reduce expenditure on the massively over-budget infrastructure scheme. The expert, who has deep knowledge of both the Department for Transport and the rail manufacturing sector, stated that the proposed changes are ostensibly aimed at maximising capacity and preventing future service problems on the northern leg of the line. However, the analysis suggests these alterations would achieve the opposite effect. Instead of streamlining operations, the redesign could degrade the passenger experience and operational efficiency for a significant portion of the intended route, undermining one of the project's core promises to rebalance the UK's economy. The original train order was a landmark deal for UK manufacturing, securing the construction of the high-speed fleet at Hitachi's plant in Newton Aycliffe and Alstom's facility in Derby. The review throws the precise future of this work into uncertainty at a time when the domestic rail industry is seeking clarity on major projects. Any significant redesign or reduction in the order would have substantial implications for the workforce and supply chains involved, potentially offsetting any theoretical savings from the contract renegotiation. This development is the latest in a series of controversies and cost escalations that have plagued the HS2 project. Initially conceived to provide rapid, high-capacity links between London, the Midlands, and the North of England, the project's scope has been repeatedly curtailed. The most dramatic revision saw the government cancel the planned eastern leg to Leeds and the high-speed connection to Manchester, scaling back ambitions for a full "Y-shaped" network. The focus is now primarily on the line from...

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Categoria: cronaca