Last October, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that sections of the high-speed railway linking Birmingham with Manchester and with the East Midlands would no longer be built.
It means that only the stretch between London and the West Midlands will go ahead. New trains built for HS2, however, will run over the entire line.
But the NAO said these trains “may have fewer seats than existing services”, and HS2’s delivery company estimates that capacity between Manchester and Birmingham could be reduced by 17%.
The Department for Transport (DfT) is looking at how longer HS2 trains could be used, but existing stations such as Crewe would have to be adapted.
As a result, the NAO said that the DfT “will need to assess options for addressing capacity issues on the west coast”, such as dissuading passengers from travelling by train at certain times – if at all.
But the report warned that this may constrain economic growth and increase environmental costs.
Another option would be “improving or adding infrastructure”, but this could be expensive and disruptive.
The DfT has been contacted for comment.
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