Transport secretary Heidi Alexander says HS2 should be the match of Japan’s Shinkansen network, which started to be developed in the 1960s.

At the time, Japanese railways were mainly built to a narrower gauge of 1067mm rather than the 1435mm of standard gauge, but the new high speed lines used standard gauge.

The transport secretary has been visiting Japan, where she met her ministerial counterpart Yasushi Kaneko and toured Hitachi’s Tokyo headquarters.

She discussed developments on railways in Japan, including how stations have helped economic growth, by supporting thousands of businesses and new homes.

Heidi Alexander said: ‘It’s easy to see why Japan’s iconic bullet trains are so loved and I want Britain to match them. Running at bullet train speeds is just the start – our reset of HS2 is ending years of waste and mismanagement, taking control of costs and delivery, and making sure the railway delivers real benefits for passengers, communities, and the economy.

‘By aligning the UK’s own dedicated high-speed line with the Shinkansen, we could save up to £2.5 billion and cut at least a year from the delivery timeline, meaning passengers and communities benefit sooner.’

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