High Speed 2 (HS2)
High Speed 2 (HS2)
Background The UK might be the birthplace of the railway, but there is only one true high-speed railway line in the UK (HS1) which runs from the Channel Tunnel to London St Pancras. The present intercity rail network has its origins in the Victorian era but despite the lack of a TGV equivalent, carries more people than the intercity networks of France (TGV and Intercités) and Germany (ICE). There are several major trunk lines that run from London out to all corners of the UK, and HS2 looks to relieve pressure on three: primarily the West Coast Main Line (WCML), and to a lesser extent the East Coast Main Line (ECML) and Midlands Main Line (MML). The WCML is the UK’s primary rail corridor, running from London Euston, up to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Scotland. It is the busiest intercity route; the backbone of several commuter lines serving various cities along its route and carries some 40% of all UK rail freight. In 2008 a decade-long and incredibly disruptive upgrade to the WCML was completed, however 60% of this new capacity has already been filled. The ECML is the second most important trunk line in the UK and has a similar traffic profile to the WCML. It runs out of London King’s Cross up to York, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Closer to London there are more intensive levels of commuter rail traffic as the southern end of the ECML forms part of the Thameslink route. There are two intercity operators on the ECML: the London North Eastern Railway and Grand Central, which carried 22.3mn and 1.5mn respectively in 2018/19. Starting at London St Pancras, the MML runs up to Leeds via Nottingham, Derby and Leicester; East Midlands Railway provides intercity services. The London section is the primary northern route of Thameslink which is where the majority of congestion lies. The ongoing MML Upgrade Plan is increasing the number of tracks, electrification of the line north of Bedford, increasing line speeds, platform extensions and is due to be completed in 2023. London Euston, London St Pancras and London King’s Cross are all clustered in close proximity to each other in Central London which also creates pressure on other rail services. The Need for HS2 When the initial business case for HS2 was being drawn up in 2010-11, it was anticipated intercity passenger growth would experience annual average growth of 1.9%, which would have implied passenger growth reaching 250mn by 2049-50, which would be substantially up on current figures. In April 2020 a revised Full Business Case was published by the UK government which suggested that this has been significantly underestimated and that the rate of growth was 2.8% and that a staggering 345mn, or one million people would be using intercity rail services every day of the year. Even looking at the shorter-term, the 2010-11 model envisioned intercity passenger volumes of 139mn by 2018-19, but the actual figure came in at 147mn. That is an additional 1mn new journeys each year on-top of the forecast growth. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...3d94134a_b.jpg Source: Department for Transport, https://assets.publishing.service.go...-phase-one.pdf Taking the WCML as a case study, back in 1994, there were 17 trains per day in each direction from London to Manchester, in 2016 this had grown to 48. Intercity passenger growth on the WCML has risen from 13.2mn in 1996/97 to 39.5mn in 2018/19, an increase of 199%. Today, more people use the intercity services on the WCML than the entire Amtrak network. Based on current growth expectations, by 2033/34, 3,200 people will be standing on intercity trains departing London Euston at the PM peak. On the Friday PM peak this would rise to a staggering 5,900, with some 1,300 standing for 90 minutes or more to stations such as Warrington which is 320km from London. To put that 3,200 standing figure in perspective, that is the equivalent of 10.5x Acela Express trainsets. Factoring in the new forecasts, this situation will only be exacerbated further, and this doesn’t even factor in over-crowding on commuter services. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...9847a60c_b.jpg Image source from Department for Transport: https://assets.publishing.service.go...tegic-case.pdf It is hard not to underline just how transformative HS2 will be for the UK. HS2 creates a new high-capacity high-frequency high-speed main line that will connect eight of the ten biggest cities, revolutionise movement around the county and bring most of the UK population under one giant catchment. Journey Times Two thirds of the UK population will be within 120minutes of Central London upon the opening of Phase 2b. Some journey time comparisons:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a4abae1a_b.jpg Image source from Department for Transport: https://assets.publishing.service.go...se_1_route.pdf Intercity rail capacity between the north and south will triple. That in turn will free up capacity for more intensive commuter and freight services all across the country. As an example, HS2 would enable a doubling of commuter services on the Peterborough to King’s Cross corridor on the ECML. Towns will be able to see an improved level of service to surrounding towns and cities, thereby dramatically increasing nationwide connectivity. Whole new lines and stations could open. Hundreds of thousands of new jobs and homes will be created as HS2 forms the catalyst for new economic growth. HS2 would also aid in displacing more long-distance road traffic and further undercut domestic flights, which in turn frees up slots at the UK’s congested airports for more international flights. The line is also one of the keystones in the UK government’s efforts to make the UK a net zero carbon economy by 2050. |
The Network
Once the full HS2 network is complete in 2035, there will be a new network spanning 530km capable of handling 400m trainsets travelling at up to 360kph (225mph) with frequencies of 17tph in each direction. 48 trains will operate across the HS2 network every hour. Interactive route map here: https://www.hs2.org.uk/where/route-map The number of departures from London Euston each hour would be 17tph, of which eight would be 400m trainsets, and the remainder 200m+200m trainsets that could split further down the line. From London Euston there would be 3tph to each of Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. Another 6tph would run from Birmingham up to Manchester and the north east increasing connectivity between the cities outside of London https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2ffb0475_b.jpg Image source from Department for Transport: https://assets.publishing.service.go...nement-web.pdf https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...931191ee_b.jpg Source: Department for Transport, https://assets.publishing.service.go...-phase-one.pdf To avoid excessive and costly demolition and spoiling of the English countryside, it is intended that large sections of HS2 will be either in tunnel or in substantial cuttings. The network will be built in three phases:
Phase 1: London to the West Midlands
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...747775e4_b.jpg Source: Department for Transport, https://assets.publishing.service.go...-phase-one.pdf https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...171b5885_o.jpg Source: Cnbrb on Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Speed_2 https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...9d4bfcbb_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c319811c_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a2736c77_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...9f813bda_b.jpg Image source from Department for Transport: https://assets.publishing.service.go...se_1_route.pdf Phase 2a: West Midlands to Crewe
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f5681960_o.jpg Source: Cnbrb on Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Speed_2 Phase 2b: Western Leg – Crewe to Manchester and the North West
Phase 2b: Eastern Leg – West Midlands to Leeds and the North East
Other Connections Beyond the current plans for HS2, there are early discussions around extension of both the western and eastern legs to further reduce travel times to Glasgow, Newcastle and Edinburgh. There is also a parallel project called High Speed North (HS3) that would create a new line running from Liverpool to Leeds via Manchester, and which would use components of the Western and Eastern Legs of HS2 Phase 2b. This is envisioned to open sometime between 2035-40. Connections to HS1 (which terminates at the neighbouring Central London station of London St Pancras) were shelved, instead Crossrail 2 and a potential passenger transit system would connect the two. Previous plans for a loop to London Heathrow Airport were also dropped as Heathrow will be accessible via an interchange at the new Old Oak Common station via Crossrail 1. Rolling Stock
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...35256567_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b1788596_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0fb5d826_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2ca31a23_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...272af0b6_b.jpg Images sourced from Railcolor News: https://railcolornews.com/2019/07/11...-five-designs/ |
Stations
25 stations will be served by HS2, which will require a substantial amount of new construction and redevelopment to accommodate the new trains and cope with high passenger volumes of those arriving/departing, as well as onward journeys. Some plans are still being finalised, but I’ll reference the most important stations. London Euston
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ea8b7220_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ec070b9c_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...755e9ca2_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...61be3769_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...7553fb51_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...558832b0_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...697c9e20_b.jpg Images sourced from Grimshaw: https://grimshaw.global/projects/hs2-euston-station Old Oak Common
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...56904071_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...3811b096_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...96661775_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...69e4df04_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0a36a4ca_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d9f25952_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...932d1a4b_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...9e0b70b2_b.jpg Images sourced from HS2: https://hs2inoldoak.commonplace.is/s...gement/details and https://mediacentre.hs2.org.uk/news/...n-is-submitted Birmingham Interchange
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...81618a53_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5cf15348_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...cacf2886_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...abe5c61a_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6cca9a33_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2ab8d652_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6a87d7a1_b.jpg Images sourced from HS2: https://hs2insolihull.commonplace.is...design/details Birmingham Curzon Street
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...20d2f557_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b9208bc2_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...367df0f1_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c3825a85_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...43859b1b_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...9eef4e05_b.jpg Images sourced from HS2: https://hs2inbirmingham.commonplace....design/details Crewe
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...7ca8f0ec_o.jpg Images sourced from HS2: https://www.hs2.org.uk/stations/crewe Manchester Interchange
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...fd946dcf_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...97714616_b.jpg Images sourced from Bennetts Associates: https://www.bennettsassociates.com/p...wth-strategies Manchester Piccadilly
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...700cec37_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5383cb17_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...bea3b514_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...1f1c7a1b_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6bb0fd72_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8cc6eb7b_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...afe6117b_b.jpg Images sourced from Manchester City Council: http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloa...march_2018.pdf East Midlands Hub
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b0ddb7fe_o.jpg Images sourced from HS2: https://www.hs2.org.uk/stations/east-midlands-hub Leeds
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e2a691f9_b.jpg Images sourced from HS2: https://www.hs2.org.uk/stations/leeds-station |
Outstanding. I really hope it doesn't take the Brits another 20 years to complete this.
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Thank you for the very informative posts. What is the likelihood that this will be built?
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Forgive my ignorance for not realizing this is still going on LOL.
This is a must build for the UK. London housing prices alone demand it. |
Preparation and site-clearance works have been ongoing for several months, the most noticeable works being at the Phase 1 sites of London Euston, Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street.
The Notice to Proceed was issued in mid-April which grants formal approval to proceed and award contracts. The first TBM’s will start tunnelling in less than 12 moths time. The target for opening Phase 1 is 2029-3, with Phase 2a and 2b complete in 2035. A lot of the work around Phase 2b is still ongoing as it will likely integrate with a HS3 running from Liverpool to Leeds via Manchester. London Euston https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8f9b9706_b.jpg Old Oak Common https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...3172a548_b.jpg Birmingham Curzon Street https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2e387e16_b.jpg Images sourced from nrairops: https://twitter.com/nrairops |
Latest project pictures. Images sourced from: https://twitter.com/nrailops and https://twitter.com/HS2ltd
London Euston Works are progressing at quite a pace to clear the land for the approach into London Euston and the tunnel portals that take HS2 out to Old Oak Common https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...dfc210d6_b.jpg Chiltern Tunnel Excavation work for the tunnel entrance to the dual bore 16km Chiltern Tunnels is progressing. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f4a52bda_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...98c4d952_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...09458fde_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ca50ae60_b.jpg |
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This thing has dominated British politics for the last decade, but it's going to transform how the entire country functions. The cost isn't really nailed down but estimated to be north of 100 billion pounds. |
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^ ahem, *brexit*. They aren’t all geniuses
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This is fantastic, kudos to the UK for getting their shit together and making this a reality.
I wish we could get our heads out of our asses and do this in the United States. Air travel is effective and fast, but woefully inefficient, expensive and challenging, with a lot of variables that constantly hamper successful execution (I'm looking at you, weather, as being one of the biggest factors). I really think HSR in the US would be a strong, unifying cultural milestone, in addition to being a major transportation boon. |
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I'm not so sure all their calls are correct, but they did make one important call that California HSR did not. Start with connecting your two largest cities in phase 1.
it was to their advantage that the two largest cities are only 118 miles apart - while in California they are 397 miles apart using Highway 99. If you are connecting the two largest cities in the entire country, New York City and Los Angeles are 2,774 miles apart using the shortest highways. The entire HSR2 project includes construction of 335 miles of new HSR corridors, and will visit 8 of the UK's largest cities. Just LA to SF requires more tracks. Building HSR to the 8 largest US cities will require thousands of miles of new HSR corridors. Here's a list of the 8 largest metros in the USA; New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, District of Columbia, Miami, and Philadelphia. NYC, LA, and Chicago on the 2,774 mile corridor mentioned earlier intercontinental route. NYC, Philadelphia, D.C. and Miami on a second 1,276 mile corridor on the east coast. A third corridor to the two Texas cities would be needed, from Kansas City on the intercontinental route, Dallas is 508 miles away, and Houston an additional 239 miles, for a subtotal 747 miles of new HSR line. At a minimum, a national HSR network reaching at least the 8 largest metros in the USA would require 4,797 miles of new HSR corridors. To put that in perspective, 4797 / 335 = 14.319, or 1431.9% more. |
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To travel the 2774 miles between NYC and LA in 2.2 hours, the train would have to average 1260 mph, faster than the world famous Concorde jet could fly. Distances and elapse travel times matter. Jets works far better at getting you there in a reasonable amount of time over these large distances than trains. |
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Have the taxpayers of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland passed referendums to buy bonds to pay for this new HSR line like California? |
Is it any plans to expand it to Scotland, a Phase 2-C maybe? I heard London-Edinburgh is a busy corridor.
And what about Glasgow-Edinburgh connection? Is it HSR or ordinary one? Any plans to upgrade it? |
From one of the architects of the "scheme" as the Brits say. Geography of time - stop thinking of HSR as a replacement for inter-city airtravel, and think of it more along the lines of a regional development opportunity.
This guy's now done studies for the NSW government and if not for COVID, I'm sure we'd have heard something about it soon. Pay particular attention around ~22-29 min in and the economic activity that HS1 generated then switch your mindset from "omg, which taxes are going to pay for this" to "u-huh, you make it work over a much longer timeframe". |
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Birmingham has a population of 4 million or so, and London a population of about 14 million. The first phase of the project is roughly equivalent of building an HSR line from New York City to Philadelphia. New York is 19 million, Philadelphia is 6 million. Birmingham is about 160km from London, Philadelphia is about 130km from New York. Doesn't seem so crazy. Ideally an equivilant project in the US would see an HSR corridor built from New York to Washington, with Phase 1 being NYC-Philly, 2A being Washington-Baltimore, and 2B being Baltimore-Philly. No way that wouldn't be successful. Amtrak is doing it's best with what it has right now on the corridor, but if it had $100 billion to sink into the corridor it could do wonders. |
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of course, but otoh its not like absolutely nothing is going on. they are, or err, were?? doing a little something with upgrading the acela amtrak trains from balto-wash dc. https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/p...fact-sheet.pdf |
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