Why isn t HS2 underground?

HS2 explains why putting Manchester station underground is not a viable option. An underground station at Manchester Piccadilly “would introduce significant construction complexity”, cost around £5bn more and take up 13 years longer to build, a comparative study by HS2 Ltd concludes.



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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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Operating Costs: The London Underground is one of the busiest metro systems in the world, with millions of passengers using the network every day. The cost of maintaining and upgrading such a complex system is high, and the fares help to cover these costs.

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the centre of London is North of the Thames. there was already a dense network of surface railways around inner South London by the time underground railways started to be built, so there was less reason to build underground ones. the clay soil of South London was not suitable for early tunnelling methods.

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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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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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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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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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The HS2 Action Alliance criticised the Department of Transport's demand forecasts as being too high, as well as having other shortcomings in the assessment methodology. Action Groups Against High Speed Two (AGHAST) claimed in 2011 that the project was not viable economically.

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HS2 will be delayed by another two years and major roadbuilding schemes will be mothballed, ministers have confirmed, after soaring inflation added billions to the cost of transport infrastructure projects.

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The Tube has the most expensive fares of any metro in the world, according to Transport for London's own research. A study that benchmarks TfL against 39 other global cities found the price paid by passengers per kilometre travelled was highest in the capital.

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