Will HS2 actually happen?

HS2, or High Speed 2, is a planned high-speed railway, billed as Europe's largest infrastructure project. It was originally expected to link London with the English cities to its north including Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. The first trains are expected to start during 2029-2033.



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According to figures shared by The Times, HS2 will save people travelling between London and Birmingham around 36 minutes. The other routes, which have since been cancelled, could have saved travellers more than an hour on their trips.

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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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The main reason HS2 is so slow to build is it is a really stupid idea that should never have been approved. It has always been expensive, which has lead to delays and construction pauses that push up costs further.

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It Won't Help and May Hurt the Economy. Studies have found that high-?speed trains can generate new economic development near the stations where the trains stop. However, the same studies show that economic development slows in communities not served by such trains.

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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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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.

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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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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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HS2 Ltd's destruction of ancient woodland and veteran trees is unacceptable. We'll keep pushing hard to save these precious habitats.

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High Speed Rail is the world's safest form of transportation proven by decades of operations all around the world. Japan was the first nation to build high speed rail in 1964, and has since transported 10 billion passengers without a single injury or fatality!

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No. The speed difference between the fastest aircraft and the fastest trains is about an order of magnitude. The atmospheric density at ground level would generate too much drag for a train to go as fast as a typical jetliner, let alone go supersonic. Theoretically, yes.

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HS2 passengers will travel in the first driverless trains on a British cross-country mainline under specifications given to manufacturers by ministers, The Telegraph can disclose.

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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.

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The rolling stock will run at a maximum speed of 360 km/h (225 mph) and will operate on both HS2 track and existing conventional track. The proposed network has been reduced substantially since it was announced in 2013. The line would originally have formed a 'Y' shape, branching north of Birmingham Interchange.

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