High Speed 2

High Speed 2
The planned extent of HS2 as of October 2023
Overview
StatusUnder construction
Locale
Termini
Connecting linesWest Coast Main Line
Stations4
Websitewww.hs2.org.uk Edit this at Wikidata
Service
TypeHigh-speed railway
SystemNational Rail
History
Commenced2017
Planned opening2029 to 2033[1]
Technical
Line length230 km (140 mi)[2]
Number of tracksDouble track
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Loading gaugeUIC GC
Electrification25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line
Operating speed360 km/h (225 mph) maximum, 330 km/h (205 mph) routinely[1]

High Speed 2 (HS2) is a high-speed railway which is under construction in England. The line will run between Handsacre, in southern Staffordshire, and London, with a spur to Birmingham. HS2 is to be Britain's second purpose-built high-speed railway after High Speed 1, which connects London to the Channel Tunnel. London and Birmingham will be served directly by new high speed track, and services to Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester will use a mix of new high speed track and the existing West Coast Main Line. The majority of the project is planned to be completed by 2033.

The new track will be built between London Euston and Handsacre, near Lichfield in southern Staffordshire, where a junction connects to the north-south West Coast Main Line. There will be new stations at Old Oak Common in northwest London; Birmingham Interchange, near Solihull; and Birmingham city centre. The trains will reach a maximum speed of 360 km/h (225 mph) when operating on HS2 track, dropping to 201 km/h (125 mph) on conventional track.

The length of the new line has been reduced substantially since it was first announced in 2013. It was originally to split into eastern and western branches north of Birmingham Interchange; the eastern branch would have connected to the Midland Main Line and East Coast Main Line, with a branch to a terminus in Leeds, and the western branch would have had connections to the West Coast Main Line at Crewe and south of Wigan, and a branch to a terminus in Manchester. Between November 2021 and October 2023 the project was progressively cut until only the London to Handsacre and Birmingham section remained.

The project has both supporters and opponents. Supporters of HS2 believe that the additional capacity provided will accommodate passenger numbers rising to pre-COVID-19 levels while driving a further modal shift to rail. Opponents believe that the project is neither environmentally nor financially sustainable.

  1. ^ a b "HS2 Phase One full business case". DfT. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  2. ^ "What is HS2". HS2. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2021.