Plans to change HS2 train size could reduce capacity and speed in north, says expert | HS2
Plans to resize HS2 trains to maximize capacity are likely to increase costs and mean fewer seats and slower services north of Birmingham, a senior government and rail industry official has warned.
A £2bn order for 54 high-speed trains to be built in the UK by a joint venture of Alstom and Hitachi is under scrutiny as HS2 Ltd seeks to cut costs and renegotiate contracts.
The order was made by the government in 2021, ahead of the northern leg of HS2 being canceled by Rishi Sunak in 2023. The 200-metre-long eight-car units were expected to double into Eurostar-sized 16-car trains. However, this will now only be possible on the new line between London and Birmingham; Existing stations such as Manchester Piccadilly cannot accommodate a 400 meter long train.
HS2 services, limited to eight carriages, will reduce capacity on the conventional rail line north of Birmingham, where the Pendolino trains currently running are faster and longer; Department for Transport (DfT) and HS2 Ltd officials are trying to avoid this by potentially ordering longer trains.
One option being considered at HS2 is to order 43 longer trains, around 250 meters long, that can run to most stations.
However, Chris Gibb, a non-executive director of state-owned rail operating company DfT Operator (DFTO), broke ranks to warn against changing the train layout; This could lead to extra costs and still leave HS2 uncomparable to mainline fleets on the west coast, he said.
Hitachi-Alstom trains cannot bend like the Pendolinos used by Avanti West Coast, which would limit their speed on curved conventional rails, Gibb said.
He told politicians and industry representatives in the all-party parliamentary rail group at Westminster that despite his role and having been a “fierce advocate of HS2” for 18 years, he was speaking personally “because I felt I had to provide leadership by example and act in the public interest”.
“If HS2 opens with 11-car Pendolinos replaced by eight-car trains, there’s no doubt these will fill up and leave people behind on day one,” Gibb said.
But he said changing the contract would cost time and money and each of the potential contract changes had downsides, including wasting work already done at HS2 stations and depots.
Gibb said the government should keep its original train order with Alstom and Hitachi to avoid contractual penalties and delays. But it should also plan to replace the existing Pendolino fleet with longer, faster, modern versions; It should be ready when HS2 services start running northwards around 2040.
He said this would “provide a significant increase in capacity, revenue and reduction in journey times on all routes, without the need for another railway construction for now”.
Lord McLoughlin, who was transport minister when HS2 was passed into law, said “it’s a tragedy where we are now” but questioned whether Gibb’s plan would come at significant cost. Gibb said the railroad “anticipates this will result in cost savings” because it requires fewer Pendolinos overall.
Lord Berkeley, a long-time HS2 skeptic, backed Gibb’s idea and said: “It could be 2040 or 2050.” [when services began]. Let’s have a consistent type of rolling stock so you can continue to use them in all conditions.”
Gibb said he doesn’t know if the order will change. But there is widespread speculation that the contract could be changed following the long-awaited “reset” of HS2’s program and budget by chief executive Mark Wild, which is currently being discussed with ministers.
A spokesman for HS2 Ltd said: “The Hitachi-Alstom joint venture has been contracted for the delivery of a fleet of 54 new trains for HS2. No changes have been made to the original order.”
HS2 said they were still working closely with the manufacturer and DfT to finalize train designs ahead of production. The trains will be built at Derby and Newton Aycliffe.
The DfT has been approached for comment.
