Is HS2 still going to Manchester?

The rail line will stop in Manchester but from Birmingham it will switch to use existing West Coast Mainline track. It effectively confirms days of speculation that the northern leg of HS2 has been shelved - with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham branding the plans a disgrace.



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HS2 blasts through sensitive wildlife sites, because the speed means the tracks need to be straight. Possible connections between HS2 and other railways, especially East West Railway, have been ignored. HS2 does not provide interconnectivity and is far from an integrated solution.

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How much will tickets cost? There is likely to be a premium of between 20 and 33 per cent for using the fast service. That would in theory push the cost of a London-Manchester Anytime ticket from £180 to £240 at 2020 prices, which works out at 6p per second.

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The high-speed rail will provide the greenest, safest and most efficient form of transport. Although the cost was said to be over 100bn the investment will provide a major boost to business and the economy; the faster rail inks will help reduce the north-south divide and overcome the externalities of car use.

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The tunnel would be an approximately 7.5-mile (12km) twin tunnel passing under south Manchester. It has been designed to avoid adverse effects on residential property by being located between 22m and 43m below ground level.

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HS2 will add vital capacity to the existing rail network by taking long-distance trains off it, creating thousands of extra seats and space for more local, commuter and freight services.

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On top of lengthy delays to the HS2 project, the UK government's Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) confirmed that the full “Eastern Leg” of the will not now proceed to Leeds, but instead committed to an options study to look at how HS2 could eventually reach the city.

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High Speed 2 (HS2) Ltd is a non-departmental public body, wholly funded by the Secretary of State for Transport and sponsored by the Department for Transport. The HS2 project is one of the largest and most complex infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the UK.

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The maximum speed currently possible in the UK is 186mph, achieved by Eurostar trains on the HS1 line between London and the Channel Tunnel. The HS1 line is used by Eurostar services and Javelin commuter services from Kent, although the latter have a max speed of 140mph.

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The HS2 is taking so long because of domestic political uncertainty, financial concerns and poor management. China railway building benefits from political will, lower land acquisition costs, a command economy and modular construction.

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Yes, there is. As one of the major and busiest routes in England, Manchester to London is served by a direct Avanti West Coast high-speed train. Being the fastest and most comfortable train option, InterCity-Express train arrives in London only in 2 hours 3 minutes.

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