HS2 services to Manchester may run slower than normal trains
The Guardian says Journeys from London to Manchester that use the new HS2 line as far as Birmingham could run slower as they continue north than existing services, and with less capacity, rail experts have warned.
And in a blow to Rishi Sunak’s plan to spend the money saved by scrapping HS2 north of Birmingham on other transport projects, the Observer has seen invoices suggesting the government will have to spend more than £1bn on work relating to the part of the line now terminated.
There is now concern among experts that the plan to allow HS2 trains to continue to Manchester on existing lines, as outlined by the former transport secretary Grant Shapps before Sunak’s conference speech, could adversely affect the service on the crowded west coast mainline north of Birmingham.
The longest Pendolino trains on the much-criticised Avanti service have 607 seats and can travel at speeds of up to 125mph due to their tilting mechanism. However, HS2 trains, which cannot tilt, would be limited to 110mph under current restrictions.