HS2: UK Government Considers Slower Trains to Save Costs

0:00On March 23rd, the UK government is looking at ways to trim costs on the troubled HS2 high-speed rail project by possibly running trains slower than planned on the London to Birmingham stretch. Facing massive delays and overruns, officials want the builder to explore lower speeds to save taxpayer money and time. Earlier this month, an update from HS2 Chief Executive Mark Wilde got pushed back until after the May elections. He was set to confirm the line won't open until sometime after 2033, and that total costs could top 100 billion pounds in. Today's money. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has called the project an appalling mess from past decisions and is now pushing all options to get it back on. Track. Public frustration runs high over the billions already spent with little to show yet. One big hurdle is testing trains at their top design speed of 360 km per hour, faster than any other conventional rail.

1:01Worldwide, building a special test track could add years and billions more so alternatives like sending trains to China for trials are on the table. Meanwhile, the project has shrunk since its early days, with northern legs to lead scrapped, leaving Birmingham to Manchester runs at slower speeds. On the existing West Coast mainline. Expect more details soon as the reset plan takes shape.