One of HS2s main aims is to move fast, non-stop trains from the existing West Coast Main Line (WCML) by moving those services to new dedicated lines, freeing up the space for more freight and commuter (stopping) trains on the existing network.
Now, diesel traction will be banned from HS2, and the new trains are electric only, no hybrids. So what happens to non-stop direct London trains that are diesel pulled, like Wrexham, the N Wales coast, and Shrewsbury’s services?
My fear is that they’ll be cancelled altogether or turned into long distance stopping trains, adding another hour on to London. Sure, we could change at Crewe or Birmingham, but people hate changing trains.
Because timetable changes are only announced twice a year and only a few months before they actually happen, I feel this will be dropped on us in 2033, 6 or whenever it happens.