HS2 could cost up to £102.7bn and may not open until 2039, transport secretary says
19 May 2026
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cz6e0vplgldt
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2l8kq52y8o
High Speed 2's early engineers proposed a vision of the future, making HS2 capable of running the fastest, most frequent trains in the world.
Sized up alongside the international alternatives, the plan was impressive: in France, high-speed trains run at 200 miles per hour; HS2 was to be built to withstand 250mph. In Japan, 12 trains run between Tokyo and Osaka every hour; HS2 would be capable of running 18 trains an hour going in and out of London Euston in that time. That's one every three minutes.
Journey times are barely altered at 320kph compared with 360kph, adding only three minutes (45 versus 42 minutes) on the journey between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street.