An engineer working on the ring build area - where segments are assembled to build a full tunnelling ring - of the HS2 Tunnelling machine, named Madeleine, to dig the tunnel from Old Oak Common to Euston, January 27, 2026
HS2 must run at full speed from day one, transport union the TSSA said yesterday as plans emerged for lower operating speeds until special tests are carried out on the trains.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is said to be weighing up options to save costs on the long overrunning and curtailed project between London and Birmingham.
Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the TSSA, which represents staff directly employed by HS2 (High Speed 2), said: “I’m afraid this is a very unwise idea.
“HS2 must be safe but instead of offering a choice between further delays or reduced speeds, ministers should be seeking solutions now so that HS2 is running at full speed on day one.
“If true, these proposals diminish our ability to grow local, regional and national economies, and therefore undermine what the government has long claimed as its top priority.”
The Department for Transport was contacted for comment.
