HS2 Scales Back Ambitions as Mark Wild Pushes for Simpler, Lower-Risk Railway

HS2 chief executive Mark Wild has signalled a major shift in direction for Britain’s high-speed rail project, arguing that the railway should avoid developing bespoke technology and instead focus on delivering a more conventional, lower-risk system.

Appearing before the Transport Select Committee, Wild said HS2 “shouldn’t be in the game” of creating new technology from scratch, as the project attempts to control spiralling costs and stabilise delivery.

The comments come as HS2 undergoes a wider reset programme aimed at reducing technical complexity, improving productivity, and bringing the project closer to what Wild described as a “standard and straightforward railway to build.”

Among the most significant changes confirmed is the reduction of HS2’s planned top operating speed from 360kph (225mph) to 320kph (200mph), alongside the removal of Automatic Train Operation (ATO) from the project specification.

Wild suggested the move reflects lessons learned from other large infrastructure programmes, including London’s Elizabeth line, where integrating highly complex new systems created major delivery challenges.

He told MPs that avoiding unnecessary technological novelty would not only reduce costs but also improve confidence that the railway could be delivered reliably.

According to Wild, savings linked to simplifying the railway’s systems and operational approach could reach billions of pounds over time, while also reducing programme risk.

The revised strategy marks a clear departure from earlier ambitions that positioned HS2 as one of the most technologically advanced railways in the world.

Automatic Train Operation had originally formed part of plans to deliver up to 18 trains per hour on the route. Under current plans, however, initial operations between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street are expected to begin with significantly lower service frequencies before gradually increasing in later phases.

Wild also confirmed that work on parts of the route near Handsacre Junction and Delta Junction would be deferred beyond the current Spending Review period, with some construction activity expected to restart in the early 2030s.

He said the phased approach would allow HS2 Ltd to focus resources on opening the railway as quickly as possible while reassessing scope, design, and cost decisions on later sections of the route.

The wider reset programme appears heavily focused on reducing delivery risk after years of escalating costs, changing scope, and political scrutiny surrounding the project.

Current estimated costs for HS2 now stand between £87.7bn and £102.7bn, while the organisation remains under pressure to meet a government target closer to £93.2bn.

Wild told MPs that much of the civil engineering work is now too advanced for major redesigns without creating further cost increases, with many elements reportedly over 90% designed and large sections already under construction.

Instead, he said the focus must now shift toward improving sequencing, productivity, and programme delivery efficiency over the next several years.

Rail Minister Lord Hendy also criticised aspects of the project’s earlier specification, suggesting insufficient attention had been given at the outset to whether some of the original ambitions were realistically deliverable.

Hendy questioned the practicality of pursuing some of the world’s most ambitious high-speed rail specifications without fully understanding the operational and delivery implications.

Alongside the committee session, the government also published a review by former National Security Adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove examining governance and leadership issues surrounding HS2.

The report criticised aspects of the project’s historic management culture, describing concerns that previous leadership had become overly focused on promoting the wider vision of high-speed rail rather than maintaining strict control over scope, delivery, and costs.

Lovegrove’s review argued that HS2 Ltd’s primary responsibility should always have remained the delivery of a railway within the parameters approved by Parliament and government.

Wild acknowledged that the current programme reset would require stronger contractual alignment with the supply chain, saying future agreements would need to place greater emphasis on efficiency, productivity, and cost control.

With more than £44bn already spent and further funding allocated through the current Spending Review period, the next phase of HS2 is likely to focus less on ambitious innovation and more on delivering a functioning railway within achievable operational and financial limits.