No first class seat and shorter trains, the HS2 cuts that were not expected
A view of a bridge. CGI of the current design of the River Blythe Viaduct HS2
A British newspaper claims to have seen documents from within the UK government. The internal memo suggests that passengers might not be sitting so comfortably on the HS2 high speed railway project. The cancellation of much of the planned HS2 network has led to unintended consequences, and a squeeze on passenger carrying capacity. Officials are looking at ways to avoid that embarrassment on the new Birmingham – London route.
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Well done, everyone!
Yet more dumbing down Time it was scrapped completely and a much better return found easily elsewhere on the rail network. Second-rate trains make no sense at all on what is supposedly a premier line.
How about Chiltern using the Blue Pullman HST hired from LSL set as a “First Class only” service between Moor Street Birmingham and London Marylebone.This would fill the niche for customers who value comfort over speed and I am convinced it would be a winner.
Nigel Lovell
Decades ago, as a boy, I remember watching the First Class only Bristol Pullman running non-stop, I think, between Bristol Temple Meads (and Bath?) and London Paddington on a weekday morning, and back again in the evening. A service like that between Birmingham and London running on HS2 track, say, every two hours every weekday,
would provide that premium service, whilst creating spare capacity on other (“non-business” trains).
Adding another train every hour or just at peak time would solve any capacity issues.
However, do existing trains from Machester on the WCML also carry passengers between Birmingham and London, that would in future not use that capacity?