Is HS2 successful?

While HS2 Ltd. has failed to meet the key schedule performance mark, it says it remains on course to complete the work well in the range of 2029 to 2033. But when the line will reach the central London terminal at Euston is still unknown. With costs rising, the government paused work at Euston in March.



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The HS2 rail line has been given an unachievable rating by an official watchdog. It has been given a red warning for its first two phases - from London to Birmingham then onto Crewe - by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.

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But HS2 is quite controversial. Those who support the project say it will improve transport times, create jobs and help the country's economy. Critics of it though, are worried about how it will impact wildlife, the countryside, their homes and how much it will cost.

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In fact, the only high speed network with a top speed similar to HS2's is in China, where trains can reach 350km per hour – still less than HS2's 360.

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High Speed 2 (HS2) is a planned high-speed railway line in England, the first phase of which is under construction in stages and due for completion between 2029 and 2033, depending on approval for later stages.

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Other groups opposing HS2 include the HS2 Action Alliance, The Wildlife Trusts and the Woodland Trust. The group has a chairperson, a treasurer and a campaign manager, relying on donations to pay them. In 2011, it made a fundraiser to pay its campaign manager Joe Rukin.

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Environmental groups The Woodland Trust opposes the current route of the proposed High Speed 2 rail link because of its impact on ancient woodland. It reports that 108 ancient woods are threatened with loss or damage from the project.

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As there are currently five per hour, off-peak, that will mean 20 trains per hour – or one every three minutes.

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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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HS2 will also play a crucial role delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail – the backbone for an integrated northern rail network. Together these better connections will help to level-up the country.

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While most Shinkansen currently operate at a maximum of 300 kph (186 mph), the E5 “Bullet Trains” of Japan Railways East (JR East) run at up to 320 kph (200 mph) on the Tohoku Shinkansen, which runs north from Tokyo to Shin-Aomori.

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High Speed 2 (HS2) is a planned high-speed railway line in England, the first phase of which is under construction in stages and due for completion between 2029 and 2033, depending on approval for later stages.

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The landmark contracts – worth an initial £2bn – will see the JV design, build and maintain a fleet of 54 state-of-the-art high-speed trains that will operate on HS2. They are the first trains in the world to achieve the British Standards Institute's PAS 2080 global accreditation.

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Because unlike planes and lorries, train travel on HS2 will be electric which will be from zero carbon energy. Making HS2 the most efficient, zero carbon option for moving large numbers of people around the country.

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In addition, the tracks, signals, rail cars and software made in the U.S. are costlier than imports, largely because the government has not funded rail the way European and Asian countries have, experts say.

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Despite an absence of official numbers, the chairwoman of the Stop HS2 group, Lizzy Williams, estimates at 50m from the track, the noise from the trains will be between 95 and 97 decibels every two minutes if the line runs at capacity. But speed isn't the only determinant of train noise.

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HS2 was originally envisaged to operate more trains an hour and higher speeds than any comparable high-speed line elsewhere in the world. It has been estimated that this pushed up costs by about 10 per cent.

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