‘High-speed’ trains from Birmingham to Manchester could also impact west coast mainline service
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.