There appears to be growing rumblings about HS2's performance, led by comments in the Sunday Times on May 1 that the Cabinet Secretary was investigating the value for money and costs of HS2. One might say - about time too! It all goes back to whether HS2's vision of a world-class, high-speed line is appropriate to a small island such as the UK. We clearly need extra capacity on the WCML corridor, but do we need to go at 360 or 400kph, when some 40% of the line is in tunnel (where lower speeds may be necessary), and where the overall journey time for passengers may be quicker on the train, but when you add 20 minutes to walk from Birmingham Curzon St to New Street station, or a reported 700metre walk from the HS2 station at Euston to Crossrail 2 via the Victoria Line platforms, maybe it is time to review the project, its speeds, its costs and deliverability.
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