HS2 trains contract reset after platform length problem

HS2 trains contract is heading for revision after it emerged that the trains ordered under the £2billion deal are not the right length for future operations.

The agreement was awarded in December 2021 to a Hitachi-Alstom partnership. It originally covered 54 HS2 high-speed trains designed to run at up to 225mph, as Alstom said when the contract was announced.

Department for Transport officials are now discussing changes to the fleet with the two manufacturers, according to sources familiar with the talks. That renegotiation follows the decision to scrap the high-speed route north of Birmingham. The trains would then need to switch off HS2 infrastructure. They would continue towards destinations such as Manchester via the existing West Coast Mainline.

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HS2 trains contract and the Manchester Piccadilly problem

One of the main constraints is Manchester Piccadilly. Its platforms are not long enough for the 400-metre trains set out in the original order. The fleet was intended to operate as pairs of 200-metre units coupled together. The Times reported that this arrangement cannot be handled at the station.

Also, running only a single 200-metre set would create an awkward comparison. Those trains would be shorter than the Pendolino services Avanti currently operates. Those Pendolino trains have been in service for almost 25 years. They measure between 217 and 265 metres, depending on configuration.

Meanwhile, work on HS2 continues. The railway is not expected to open for another decade. Officials are weighing several options for the fleet. These include shortening the trains, lengthening them, or producing two separate train lengths.

The original contract was signed by the Conservative government more than four years ago. At that point, HS2 was still intended to run from London to Manchester.

Hitachi and Alstom renegotiation after route changes

Jobs and fleet options

At the time, the deal was presented as one that would support or create 2,500 jobs. Those jobs were tied to manufacturing sites in Derby, Crewe and County Durham. The package also included a 12-year maintenance agreement.

Still, the order had been placed years before ministers decided in October 2023 to cancel the section beyond Birmingham. That decision changed the role the trains would need to perform. The platforms at Manchester Piccadilly are reportedly too short for the new fleet. The final fleet size has not yet been settled. Sources say the number required will be well above half of the original 54-train order.

In addition, Whitehall officials have maintained that changes to the contract will not affect jobs at the production plants. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is expected to set out a major “reset” for the remaining London-to-Birmingham route in the coming weeks.

New baseline and timetable

At the same time, HS2 chief executive Mark Wild is preparing a “new baseline” containing updated forecasts and a more realistic schedule, as gov.uk noted. Wild was brought in after dealing with delays and budget overruns on London’s Crossrail.

London to Birmingham route timetable and costs

Passenger services between Birmingham and Old Oak Common in west London are officially due to begin sometime between 2029 and 2033. Mr Wild has said the earlier date is “unlikely”. The onward connection from Old Oak Common to Euston is not expected until the 2040s.

Separately, phase one is currently estimated to cost between £54billion and £67billion in 2019 prices. Some analysts believe inflation could push the final figure close to £100billion. The train contract has already drawn controversy. In late 2023, The Sunday Times reported that the original carriage designs did not include enough doors.

Construction work is continuing at Old Oak Common. Also, Siemens Mobility employs more than 5,000 people in the UK across 30 sites. That includes a new plant in Goole, West Yorkshire. The company unsuccessfully challenged the contract award in court. It argued that HS2 had not properly checked whether the Hitachi-Alstom venture could meet the technical requirements, as Reuters reported.

For example, political criticism has also continued around related rail plans. Former Conservative minister Esther McVey criticised the wider Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme as a “charade” intended to “keep mayors of the north happy”. Ms Alexander rejected that criticism. She said the government had developed “a sequenced, credible, phased investment plan” to improve rail services in the north.

An HS2 spokesman said no changes have been made to the original order.

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