Why is HS2 being scrapped?

Northern HS2 line set to be scrapped with costs 'out of control', Sky News understands. The planned railway - announced by the last Labour government but backed by successive Tory administrations - is intended to link London, the Midlands and the North of England but has been plagued by delays and rising costs.



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The entirety of the HS2 rail link between London and Birmingham is to be scrapped and replaced with a train of Dacia Sanderos welded together, the government has announced.

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HS2 will be Britain's second purpose-built high-speed line after High Speed 1, which connects London to the Channel Tunnel. The majority of the project is planned to be completed between 2029 and 2033.

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Political parties The UK Independence Party (UKIP) is opposed nationally and locally to the proposed HS2 plans. UKIP has been campaigning against HS2 as it is also part of the EU's Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Policy.

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The HS2 rail line will provide significant extra capacity for passengers and freight within the UK and to continental Europe, along with other significant predicted national and local economic benefits that will come from sharing some of the South East's wealth.

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The main gain of HS2 is that it frees up space on the rail network for more freight services. This point has often been missed in discussions about the project. There is no doubt that there would be environmental gains. The passenger gains are less compelling and less urgent.

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HS2 will free up capacity on the existing lines, enabling more local commuter services and more freight services – more freight trains will help take lorries off the road and provide environmental benefits. The project has had a negative effect on economic, social and environmental factors.

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Organisations. Organisations that support the HS2 project include: The three major UK political parties: Conservative, Labour (albeit with some criticism of the proposed route) and the Liberal Democrats. In Labour's 2019 manifesto the party said it would extend the dedicated high-speed track to Scotland.

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The new railway will run between the North West and South East, stopping at Manchester, Birmingham and London with trains continuing on the existing network to Scotland and elsewhere. HS2's new British-built, bullet style trains will travel at up to 225mph on both high-speed and existing railway lines.

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Our Net Zero Carbon Plan HS2 trains will be powered by zero carbon energy from day one of operation, offering a cleaner alternative to long distance car journeys and domestic flights.

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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 four main works contractors are: SCS JV: Skanska, Costain, Strabag. Align JV: Bouygues Travaux Publics, Sir Robert McAlpine and VolkerFitzpatrick. EKFB JV: Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial, Bam Nuttall.

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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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