The fundamental problem with HS2 is that the scheme was drawn up without any detailed assessment of the need for it, wrote Christian Wolmar in the Evening Standard (9 July 2013).

Yes, trains heading north out of Euston are sometimes full but there is plenty of space left on most of them, as anyone travelling on expensive peak services can testify.

Much of the overcrowding is a result of Virgin Trains’ policy of not allowing Milton Keynes commuters to use their services and of allowing off-peak travellers on cheaper tickets to travel only after 7pm. There is also far too high a proportion of first-class accommodation, making up four out of nine carriages (now 11 on some trains).
[…]

Another cause of capacity and reliability problems is Network Rail inefficiency. On the West Coast Main Line (WCML), the largest long distance passenger flows are between

• London and Birmingham…