HS2 focus firmly on Birmingham-London as West Coast connection deferred until 2029
The long-awaited HS2 link to the West Coast Main Line will be delayed until 2029, with focus shifting to the Birmingham-London route.
The long-awaited link between High Speed 2 (HS2) and the West Coast Main Line (WCML) has been hit with another major delay, with construction now deferred for an additional four years.
The 29km Handsacre connection — designed to carry HS2 services north from Birmingham Curzon Street to the WCML — was paused in 2023. HS2 Ltd has now confirmed that work will not restart until at least 2029.
Built by the Balfour Beatty Vinci joint venture (BBV), the section was set to join the WCML at Handsacre Junction near Lichfield, Staffordshire.
The latest delay was revealed in a letter from HS2 Ltd chief executive Mark Wild to the leader of Staffordshire City Council, first reported by the Financial Times.
In it, Wild acknowledged the decision would be “disappointing,” but stressed that HS2 remains “fully committed” to completing the Handsacre link.
HS2 Ltd said the deferral is intended to “support the reset” of the overall HS2 programme, allowing the company to “prioritise efforts and resources on the opening section of HS2 between Old Oak Common and Birmingham – getting the construction programme back in the right order.”
Connecting HS2 to the WCML is a crucial part of delivering high-speed services to northern England and Scotland. However, the Handsacre link faces a major operational challenge: it would push more trains through the already congested Shugborough Tunnel, a long-standing bottleneck on the WCML.
Running HS2 trains through Handsacre would mean removing existing “classic” services to free up capacity. “If you run an HS2 train on this route, you have to take out a classic train, which would leave stations south of Handsacre and potentially as far as Rugby with a reduced service,” explained independent rail consultant William Barter.
Responding to news of the deferral, Barter suggested the pause may be strategic. “What I suspect is happening behind the scenes is that they’re realising exactly how difficult timetabling a complete HS2 service onto the WCML at Handsacre is going to be – and they’re buying some time to think about it.”