High Speed 2 (HS2) is a partly planned high speed railway in the United Kingdom. The first phase was given Parliamentary approval in 2017. The remaining phases await approval, with one having design amendments to integrate with Northern Powerhouse Rail.[4][5]
On 11 February 2020, the project independent review established that: "HS2 - which is due to be completed by 2040 - is already over budget and behind schedule."[6] In February 2020, the Government confirmed that the project will proceed. [7] UK Prime Minister - Boris Johnson - announced a full-time minister will be appointed to oversee the project.
In 2015, it was estimated in the UK Government's 2015 Budget that the cost of HS2 would be £56bn[8], but the review has warned that it could rise to as much as £106bn.[9] According to the latest estimates, the first stage would be completed between 2028 and 2031.
On a combination of existing and new high speed track, the intention is to link Birmingham, Birmingham airport, Carlisle, Chesterfield, Crewe, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Manchester airport, Newcastle, Old Oak Common, West London, Oxenholme, Penrith, Preston, Sheffield, Warrington and York.[10]
The existing 125 mph (200 km/h) high speed tracks are referred to as classic tracks. The spine of the network is new dedicated 360 km/h (225 mph) track,[11] being approximately double the speed of existing high speed classic tracks, which will directly serve Birmingham, Birmingham Airport, Crewe, the East Midlands, Leeds, London, Manchester, Manchester airport and Old Oak Common. A new dedicated fleet of "captive" trains with wider cars, capable of higher speeds, will operate only on the higher speed spine. A second fleet of trains, called "classic compatible", will be capable of operating both on classic lines and on the new high speed spine.[12][13][14][15][16]
When complete, the spine of HS2, the new high speed track, will be shaped like a letter "Y" with London at the base, Birmingham at the split, Leeds at top right, and Manchester top left. The top left of the "Y", the northwest, will extend to Glasgow and Edinburgh using the existing high speed West Coast Main Line operating at much lower speeds. The top right of the "Y", the northeast, will extend to Newcastle using the existing high speed East Coast Main Line, again operating at much lower speeds. HS2 trains will leave the new high speed spine at Crewe running onto the conventional speed West Coast Main Line spur to Liverpool. HS2 trains will branch off the new HS2 spine at Clay Cross in Derbyshire, running onto the slower high speed tracks of the Midland Main Line to Sheffield then returning to the HS2 spine north of Sheffield.
The two phases of the new high speed track project are:
Phase 1 – from London to the West Midlands, with the first services scheduled for 2028.
Phase 2 – from the West Midlands to Leeds and Manchester, scheduled for full completion by 2035.
Phase 2 is split into two sub-phases:
Phase 2a – from the West Midlands to Crewe, with the first services scheduled for 2027.
Phase 2b – from Crewe to Manchester, and from the West Midlands to Leeds, with the first services scheduled for 2033.
HS2 is being developed by High Speed Two (HS2) Limited, a private company limited by guarantee established by the UK government. In July 2017, decisions on the full "Y" route were approved by Parliament,[14] and the complete project was estimated to cost £56 billion.[17] However, independent estimates put the total cost much higher propounding at least £107.9 billion,[18] while a leaked official report projects an upper estimate of £106 billion.[19] Construction of Phase 1 began in 2017.[20]
Scheduled to open in phases between 2026 and 2033, HS2 will be the second high speed rail line in Britain capable of speeds above 186 mph (300 km/h), the first being High Speed 1 (HS1), which connects London to the Channel Tunnel, commissioned in the mid-2000s. There are no plans to connect HS2 to H
High speed rail arrived in the United Kingdom with the opening in 2003 of the first part of High Speed 1, then known as the 67 mi (108 km) Channel Tunnel Rail Link between London and the Channel Tunnel. The assessment of the case for a second high speed line was proposed in 2009 by the DfT under the Labour government, which was to be developed by a new company, High Speed Two Limited (HS2) Limited.[21]
Following a review by the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition,[22] a route was opened to public consultation in December 2010,[23][24] based on a Y-shaped route from London to Birmingham with branches to Leeds and Manchester, as originally put forward by the previous Labour government,[25] with alterations designed to minimise the visual, noise, and other environmental impacts of the line.[23]
In January 2012 the Secretary of State for Transport announced that HS2 would go ahead in two phases and the legislative process would be achieved through two hybrid bills.[26][27] The High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017 authorising the construction of Phase 1 passed both Houses of Parliament and received Royal Assent in February 2017.[28] A Phase 2a High Speed Rail (West Midlands – Crewe) bill, seeking the power to construct Phase 2 as far as Crewe and make decisions on the remainder of the Phase 2b route, was introduced in July 2017.[29]
Proposed changes
Calls for reappraisal
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in 2016 called for a rethink over the HS2 terminus at Euston, preferring Old Oak Common as the London terminus.[30]
In November 2018, Andrea Leadsom MP questioned the viability of the project at a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Rail Group. In response, HS2 suggested some changes to the project, to keep it within budget. These included: reducing train speeds by 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), reducing the frequency from 18 to 14 trains per hour and changing from slab track to ballasted track. CEO Mark Thurston was quoted as saying: "If at some point in the future, we are instructed to consider any of these options, then more detailed work on the effect of such changes would, of course, take place...".[31]
In May 2019, the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee recommended moving the London terminus to Old Oak Common. The committee also recommended an urgent new appraisal of the business case for HS2, and that the government and High Speed Two Limited should publish an analysis of possible cost-saving from lowering the maximum operating speed of HS2, and publish a full business case by the end of 2019.[32]
On 21 August 2019, the incoming Johnson ministry commissioned an independent review of the project,[33] chaired by Douglas Oakervee, ex-chairman of HS2, with terms of reference published by the DfT.[34][35] Plans for a review had earlier been criticised by the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Andy McDonald.[36] Work on the project proceeded while the review was undertaken.[37] The review was completed in November 2019, with publication expected in early 2020.[38] Lord Berkeley, the deputy chair of the review, distanced himself from the review's conclusions issuing a dissenting report on 5 January 2020.[39]
Possible South Yorkshire Hub
Changes were made to the eastern leg of the HS2 "Y" route through South Yorkshire, with Meadowhall on the outskirts of Sheffield being dropped from the scheme. The city of Sheffield will be served directly to its centre at Sheffield Midland station via the Midland Main Line classic track. A spur will be created by a branch off the main HS2 track at Clay Cross onto the Midland Main Line via Chesterfield, branching back onto HS2 track east of Grimethorpe, north of Sheffield.
There are suggestions for a new 'South Yorkshire Hub' station to be built to replace Meadowhall. The proposal is a future hub, loosely called South Yorkshire Parkway, near Thurnscoe, Rotherham or Dearne Valley.[40][41] The plans were backed by Sir David Higgins, then head of High Speed Two Limited, in December 2016.[42]
The Transport Document, released in July 2016, stated:
As mentioned above, I also believe that HS2 should carry out a study to make recommendations to the Secretary of State on the potential for a parkway station on the M18/Eastern leg route which could serve the South Yorkshire area as a whole.
In January 2017, the government published eight possible sites for the hub across South Yorkshire and also said they would consider a 'South Yorkshire Hub'.[43]
Sites being considered include: Bramley in Rotherham, South Yorkshire; Clayton in Doncaster, South Yorkshire; Fitzwilliam in Wakefield, West Yorkshire; Hemsworth in Wakefield; Hickleton in Doncaster; Hooton Roberts in Rotherham; Mexborough in Doncaster; and Wales in Rotherham.
In July 2017, MPs called for the government to build a parkway station on the planned HS2 route through South Yorkshire after the government confirmed HS2 would take the M18 Eastern Route. Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling confirmed in a letter to MP John Healey, the MP for Wentworth and Dearne, that a parkway station in South Yorkshire was under consideration and that Grayling and the other local MPs were making the case for a station.[44]
In September 2017, there were further calls for a station in South Yorkshire, while High Speed Two Limited said any new station would require a consultation and that they were still assessing the eight sites proposed in January 2017. Any new station would have to be near existing railway lines in order to provide the best benefits of HS2.[45]
In December 2017, the chairman of HS2 ordered a decision on the parkway station in South Yorkshire to be made soon, and confirmed that only three options were being assessed. The decision will need to be made before a final decision in Parliament is made in 2019.[46]
Route
Phase 1 will create a new high speed line between London and Birmingham by 2026. A high speed link will also be provided to the existing West Coast Main Line (WCML) just north of Lichfield in Staffordshire, which will provide services to the North West of England and Scotland, in advance of later phases.
Four stations will be included on the route: the London and Birmingham city centre termini will be London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street, with interchanges at Old Oak Common and Birmingham Interchange respectively.
The route will enter a twin-bore tunnel near the Mornington Street bridge at Euston Station's throat. After continuing through the underground station at Old Oak Common, an 8-mile (13 km) tunnel follows until West Ruislip, where trains emerge to run on the surface.[47] The line crosses the Colne Valley and the M25 on a viaduct, and then through a 9.8-mile (15.8 km) tunnel under the Chiltern Hills to emerge near South Heath, northwest of Amersham. It will run roughly parallel to the A413 road and the London to Aylesbury Line, to the west of Wendover in what HS2 call a 'green tunnel'. This is a cut-and-cover tunnel under farmland, with soil spread over the final construction in order to reduce the visual impact of the line, reduce noise and allow use of the land above the tunnels for agriculture.[48] After passing west of Aylesbury, the route will run along the corridor of the former Great Central Main Line, joining the former line north of Quainton Road to travel through rural North Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire up to Mixbury, south of Brackley, from where it will cross the A43 and open countryside through South Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. North of a bored tunnel under Long Itchington Wood, the route will pass through rural areas between Kenilworth and Coventry and cross the A46 to enter the West Midlands.
Birmingham Interchange station will be on the outskirts of Solihull, close to the strategic road network including the M42, M6, M6 toll and A45, all crossed on viaducts; also close to Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre. North of the station, a triangular junction (known as the 'delta junction') west of Coleshill will link the HS2 Birmingham city centre spur with the line continuing north, from which Phase 2a and 2b will be developed. The northern limit for Phase 1 will be a connection onto the WCML near Lichfield. This part of the line would be operative with compatible high-speed trains moving onto the classic track WCML while the western leg of Phase 2 is being built.
The city centre spur will be routed along the Water Orton rail corridor, the Birmingham to Derby line through Castle Bromwich and in a tunnel past Bromford.
In November 2015, the then Chancellor, George Osborne, announced that the HS2 line would be extended to Crewe by 2027, reducing journey times from London to Crewe by 35 minutes. The section from Lichfield to Crewe is a part of Phase 2a planned to be built simultaneously with Phase 1, effectively merging Phase 2a with Phase 1. The proposed Crewe Hub incorporating a station catering for high-speed trains will be built as part of Phase 2a.[49]
Phase 2 – West Midlands to Manchester and Leeds
In November 2016, Phase 2 plans were approved by the government with the route confirmed.[50][51] Phase 2 will create two branch lines from Birmingham running north either side of the Pennines creating a "Y" network. Phase 2 is split into two phases, 2a and 2b. Phase 2a is the section from Lichfield to Crewe on the western section of the "Y" and Phase 2b is the remainder of Phase 2.
The western section:
This section of the "Y" route extends north from Lichfield connecting to the northbound classic WCML at Bamfurlong south of Wigan taking services to Scotland, with a branch to the existing Manchester Piccadilly station. A branch on HS2 at High Legh in Cheshire will takes trains on classic track twenty-five miles (40 km) into Liverpool.
The eastern section:
This section of the "Y" branches at Coleshill to the east of Birmingham and routes north to just before York where it connects onto the northbound classic ECML projecting services to the North East of England and Scotland.
West Midlands to Crewe (Phase 2a, western section)
This phase extends the line northwest to the Crewe Hub from the northern extremity of Phase 1, north of Lichfield. At Lichfield HS2 also connects to the West Coast Main Line. Opening a year after Phase 1, most of the construction of phase 2a will be in parallel with Phase 1. The House of Commons approved phase 2a in July 2019.[52]
Crewe Hub (Phase 2a, western section)
The Crewe Hub is an important addition to the HS2 network, giving additional connectivity to existing lines radiating from the Crewe junction.[53] The components are:
An updated station at Crewe, to cope with high-speed trains.
A tunnel under the station to allow HS2 trains to bypass the station while remaining on high-speed tracks.
Branches onto the WCML just to the south and north of the station, to allow HS2 trains to enter the station.[54]
Crewe to Bamfurlong and Manchester (Phase 2b, western section)
HS2 track continues north from Crewe with its end point at Bamfurlong south of Wigan where it branches into the WCML. As the line passes through Cheshire at Millington, it will branch to Manchester using a triangular junction. At this junction "passive provision" for a link to Liverpool will be constructed enabling the future construction of Northern Powerhouse Rail to link to the HS2 network. This will be provided for in the HS2 Phase 2b Hybrid Bill.[55] The Manchester branch then veers east in a circuitous route around Tatton running past Manchester airport through a station at the airport, with the line then entering a 10-mile (16 km) tunnel, emerging at Ardwick where the line will continue to its terminus at Manchester Piccadilly.
West Midland to ECML and Leeds (Phase 2b, eastern section)
East of Birmingham the Phase 1 line branches at Coleshill progressing north east roughly parallel to the M42 motorway, progressing north between Derby and Nottingham the line ends by branching into the northbound ECML south of York, projecting services to the North East of England and Scotland on a mixture of HS2 and classic tracks.[56]
The line from Birmingham northeast bound incorporates the proposed East Midlands Hub located at Toton between Derby and Nottingham. The East Midlands Hub will serve Derby, Leicester and Nottingham. There will be a parallel spur to the northbound HS2 track using the classic track Midland Main Line from a branch at Clay Cross branching back onto HS2 track east of Grimethorpe. Chesterfield and Sheffield will be served by HS2 classic compatible trains being located on this spur.[57] HS2 track will branch directly into a Leeds HS2 terminus.
The initial plan was for the line to serve Sheffield directly via a new raised station adjacent to Tinsley Viaduct, near to Meadowhall Interchange east of Sheffield as the line progresses north. This met with opposition from Sheffield Council, who lobbied for the line to be routed through Sheffield city centre. As a result, Sheffield will be accessed via a spur from HS2 branching off at Clay Cross running though Chesterfield, using the existing classic track Midland Main Line. This spur benefits Chesterfield gaining a HS2 classic compatible service, which was not in the initial plan.[58][59][60][61][62] There is doubt that Sheffield will be served directly by HS2 trains; the existing line from Clay Cross through Chesterfield and Sheffield to Clayton will not be electrified as clearly outlined in Moving Britain Ahead published by the Department for transport in July 2017.
“ As set out in the November 2016 consultation, the infrastructure cost saving assumes the cost of delivering a junction in the Clayton area north of Sheffield back onto the HS2 mainline, but not the costs of electrification of the Midland Main Line (MML) between Clay Cross and Sheffield Midland or electrification of the existing railway from Sheffield to Clayton.[63] ”
A branch from HS2 will take the line to new high-speed platforms constructed onto the side of the existing Leeds station.[64][65][66] Completion is scheduled for 2033.
Possible future phases – Liverpool/Newcastle/Scotland
There are no DfT proposals to extend high-speed lines north of Leeds to Newcastle, west of Manchester to Liverpool, or to Scotland via the west or east coast routes. High-speed trains will be capable of accessing some destinations off the high-speed lines using the existing slower speed tracks, using a mixture of high and low-speed tracks.
Liverpool
The Liverpool City Region was omitted from direct HS2 track access. In February 2016 Liverpool City Council offered £2 billion towards funding a direct HS2 line into Liverpool's city centre. The nearest proposed HS2 track will be 16 miles (26 km) from the city centre and 1 mile (1.6 km) to the nearest boundary of the Liverpool City Region.[67]
Taking HS2 directly to Liverpool was considered via Northern Powerhouse Rail's (HS3) high-speed tracks. A House of Commons Briefing Paper of November 2016 states:[68]
TfN has examined two options that make use of HS2 to connect Manchester and Liverpool. Both options involve construction of a new line to Liverpool, and a junction onto the HS2 route. Under these options it would be possible to deliver NPR's ambitions for a 30-minute journey between Manchester and Liverpool, connecting the cities via Manchester Airport.
A "passive provision", namely a small section of additional HS2 track, would enable the future construction of Northern Powerhouse Rail to link to the HS2 network without disrupting HS2 services once they are running. This will be provided for in the Hybrid Bill.[55]
In November 2018, it was reported that Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling and Chancellor, Philip Hammond were looking at extending HS2 to Liverpool.[69]
Steve Rotheram, the Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, in March 2019 announced the creation of a Station Commission to determine the size, type and location of a new "transport hub" station in Liverpool's city centre, linking with the local transport infrastructure. The station would serve HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail trains. The existing Lime Street station is considered too small, with expansion difficult and expensive. Transport for the North's strategic plan recognised the need for a new station to accommodate HS2 and NPR trains.[70][71][72]
Rotheram stated in May 2019 that the government now preferred to connect Liverpool to HS2 via an existing freight line rather than build dedicated direct high speed track into the city.[73] In June 2019, HS2 officially documented that Liverpool will branch onto HS2 at High Legh in Cheshire and not via Crewe. Passive provision of two branches will be built. From the document High Speed Two: Phase 2b Design Refinement Consultation:
The Secretary of State is minded to include passive provision for two junctions to enable future use of the HS2 line into Manchester for potential NPR services between Manchester, Warrington and Liverpool; and a second to also allow HS2 services between London and Liverpool to use future NPR infrastructure.[74]
Whether the access track from Liverpool to HS2 at High Legh will be high speed or lower speed track has not been determined.
Newcastle
The Scottish Partnership Group for High Speed Rail in June 2011 campaigned for the extension of the HS2 to Newcastle.[75]
Scotland
Business and governmental organisations including Network Rail, CBI Scotland and Transport Scotland (the transport agency of the Scottish Government) formed the Scottish Partnership Group for High Speed Rail in June 2011 to campaign for the extension of the HS2 project north to Edinburgh and Glasgow. It published a study in December 2011 which outlined a case for extending high-speed rail to Scotland, proposing a route north of Manchester to Edinburgh and Glasgow as well as an extension to Newcastle.[75]
In 2009, the then Transport Secretary Lord Adonis outlined a policy for high-speed rail in the UK as an alternative to domestic air travel, with particular emphasis on travel between the major cities of Scotland and England. "I see this as the union railway, uniting England and Scotland, north and south, richer and poorer parts of our country, sharing wealth and opportunity, pioneering a fundamentally better Britain," he stated in his speech.[76]
In November 2012 the Scottish Government announced plans to build a 74 km (46 mi) high-speed rail link between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The proposed link would have reduced journey times between the two cities to under 30 minutes and was planned to open by 2024, eventually connecting to the high-speed network being developed in England.[77] The plan was cancelled in 2016.[78]
In May 2015, it was reported that High Speed Two Limited had concluded that there was "no business case" to extend HS2 north into Scotland, and that high-speed rail services would run north of Bamfurlong and York on conventional track.[79]
Greengauge 21, at the National HSR Conference in Glasgow in September 2015, recommended a mixture of high-speed and existing track to Scotland to reduce journey times. This would use planned HS2 track, existing WCML track and sections of newly laid high-speed track.[80]
In July 2016 it was reported that the 400-metre-long (1,300 ft) HS2 trains using the existing track could not be accommodated at Glasgow Central or Glasgow Queen Street stations, due to insufficient space to extend the platforms; extended or new platforms would require the compulsory purchase of buildings and land. Instead, the proposals suggested a possible third major station in Glasgow.[81] In April 2019, a report by the Glasgow Connectivity Commission called 'Connecting Glasgow' recommended that in order to accommodate the trains, Glasgow Central should be redesigned and extended southwards over the river. It was also proposed that a new southern entrance and concourse close to the site of the now long-disused Glasgow Bridge Street could be built. The commission also highlighted the potential to create a bus station under the station, close to the proposed concourse. The city council had been planning a new HS2 terminal at Collegelands, to the east of the city centre, and the commission recommended this plan should be rejected.[82]
Proposals to extend HS2 to Scotland via the East Coast have included plans for a new station outside York. This station could be built near the A59, the A64, the York Outer Ring Road or the Harrogate to York railway line.[83]
Connection to other lines
On 11 February 2020, the project independent review established that: "HS2 - which is due to be completed by 2040 - is already over budget and behind schedule."[6] In February 2020, the Government confirmed that the project will proceed. [7] UK Prime Minister - Boris Johnson - announced a full-time minister will be appointed to oversee the project.
In 2015, it was estimated in the UK Government's 2015 Budget that the cost of HS2 would be £56bn[8], but the review has warned that it could rise to as much as £106bn.[9] According to the latest estimates, the first stage would be completed between 2028 and 2031.
On a combination of existing and new high speed track, the intention is to link Birmingham, Birmingham airport, Carlisle, Chesterfield, Crewe, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Manchester airport, Newcastle, Old Oak Common, West London, Oxenholme, Penrith, Preston, Sheffield, Warrington and York.[10]
The existing 125 mph (200 km/h) high speed tracks are referred to as classic tracks. The spine of the network is new dedicated 360 km/h (225 mph) track,[11] being approximately double the speed of existing high speed classic tracks, which will directly serve Birmingham, Birmingham Airport, Crewe, the East Midlands, Leeds, London, Manchester, Manchester airport and Old Oak Common. A new dedicated fleet of "captive" trains with wider cars, capable of higher speeds, will operate only on the higher speed spine. A second fleet of trains, called "classic compatible", will be capable of operating both on classic lines and on the new high speed spine.[12][13][14][15][16]
When complete, the spine of HS2, the new high speed track, will be shaped like a letter "Y" with London at the base, Birmingham at the split, Leeds at top right, and Manchester top left. The top left of the "Y", the northwest, will extend to Glasgow and Edinburgh using the existing high speed West Coast Main Line operating at much lower speeds. The top right of the "Y", the northeast, will extend to Newcastle using the existing high speed East Coast Main Line, again operating at much lower speeds. HS2 trains will leave the new high speed spine at Crewe running onto the conventional speed West Coast Main Line spur to Liverpool. HS2 trains will branch off the new HS2 spine at Clay Cross in Derbyshire, running onto the slower high speed tracks of the Midland Main Line to Sheffield then returning to the HS2 spine north of Sheffield.
The two phases of the new high speed track project are:
Phase 1 – from London to the West Midlands, with the first services scheduled for 2028.
Phase 2 – from the West Midlands to Leeds and Manchester, scheduled for full completion by 2035.
Phase 2 is split into two sub-phases:
Phase 2a – from the West Midlands to Crewe, with the first services scheduled for 2027.
Phase 2b – from Crewe to Manchester, and from the West Midlands to Leeds, with the first services scheduled for 2033.
HS2 is being developed by High Speed Two (HS2) Limited, a private company limited by guarantee established by the UK government. In July 2017, decisions on the full "Y" route were approved by Parliament,[14] and the complete project was estimated to cost £56 billion.[17] However, independent estimates put the total cost much higher propounding at least £107.9 billion,[18] while a leaked official report projects an upper estimate of £106 billion.[19] Construction of Phase 1 began in 2017.[20]
Scheduled to open in phases between 2026 and 2033, HS2 will be the second high speed rail line in Britain capable of speeds above 186 mph (300 km/h), the first being High Speed 1 (HS1), which connects London to the Channel Tunnel, commissioned in the mid-2000s. There are no plans to connect HS2 to H
High speed rail arrived in the United Kingdom with the opening in 2003 of the first part of High Speed 1, then known as the 67 mi (108 km) Channel Tunnel Rail Link between London and the Channel Tunnel. The assessment of the case for a second high speed line was proposed in 2009 by the DfT under the Labour government, which was to be developed by a new company, High Speed Two Limited (HS2) Limited.[21]
Following a review by the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition,[22] a route was opened to public consultation in December 2010,[23][24] based on a Y-shaped route from London to Birmingham with branches to Leeds and Manchester, as originally put forward by the previous Labour government,[25] with alterations designed to minimise the visual, noise, and other environmental impacts of the line.[23]
In January 2012 the Secretary of State for Transport announced that HS2 would go ahead in two phases and the legislative process would be achieved through two hybrid bills.[26][27] The High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017 authorising the construction of Phase 1 passed both Houses of Parliament and received Royal Assent in February 2017.[28] A Phase 2a High Speed Rail (West Midlands – Crewe) bill, seeking the power to construct Phase 2 as far as Crewe and make decisions on the remainder of the Phase 2b route, was introduced in July 2017.[29]
Proposed changes
Calls for reappraisal
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in 2016 called for a rethink over the HS2 terminus at Euston, preferring Old Oak Common as the London terminus.[30]
In November 2018, Andrea Leadsom MP questioned the viability of the project at a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Rail Group. In response, HS2 suggested some changes to the project, to keep it within budget. These included: reducing train speeds by 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), reducing the frequency from 18 to 14 trains per hour and changing from slab track to ballasted track. CEO Mark Thurston was quoted as saying: "If at some point in the future, we are instructed to consider any of these options, then more detailed work on the effect of such changes would, of course, take place...".[31]
In May 2019, the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee recommended moving the London terminus to Old Oak Common. The committee also recommended an urgent new appraisal of the business case for HS2, and that the government and High Speed Two Limited should publish an analysis of possible cost-saving from lowering the maximum operating speed of HS2, and publish a full business case by the end of 2019.[32]
On 21 August 2019, the incoming Johnson ministry commissioned an independent review of the project,[33] chaired by Douglas Oakervee, ex-chairman of HS2, with terms of reference published by the DfT.[34][35] Plans for a review had earlier been criticised by the Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Andy McDonald.[36] Work on the project proceeded while the review was undertaken.[37] The review was completed in November 2019, with publication expected in early 2020.[38] Lord Berkeley, the deputy chair of the review, distanced himself from the review's conclusions issuing a dissenting report on 5 January 2020.[39]
Possible South Yorkshire Hub
Changes were made to the eastern leg of the HS2 "Y" route through South Yorkshire, with Meadowhall on the outskirts of Sheffield being dropped from the scheme. The city of Sheffield will be served directly to its centre at Sheffield Midland station via the Midland Main Line classic track. A spur will be created by a branch off the main HS2 track at Clay Cross onto the Midland Main Line via Chesterfield, branching back onto HS2 track east of Grimethorpe, north of Sheffield.
There are suggestions for a new 'South Yorkshire Hub' station to be built to replace Meadowhall. The proposal is a future hub, loosely called South Yorkshire Parkway, near Thurnscoe, Rotherham or Dearne Valley.[40][41] The plans were backed by Sir David Higgins, then head of High Speed Two Limited, in December 2016.[42]
The Transport Document, released in July 2016, stated:
As mentioned above, I also believe that HS2 should carry out a study to make recommendations to the Secretary of State on the potential for a parkway station on the M18/Eastern leg route which could serve the South Yorkshire area as a whole.
In January 2017, the government published eight possible sites for the hub across South Yorkshire and also said they would consider a 'South Yorkshire Hub'.[43]
Sites being considered include: Bramley in Rotherham, South Yorkshire; Clayton in Doncaster, South Yorkshire; Fitzwilliam in Wakefield, West Yorkshire; Hemsworth in Wakefield; Hickleton in Doncaster; Hooton Roberts in Rotherham; Mexborough in Doncaster; and Wales in Rotherham.
In July 2017, MPs called for the government to build a parkway station on the planned HS2 route through South Yorkshire after the government confirmed HS2 would take the M18 Eastern Route. Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling confirmed in a letter to MP John Healey, the MP for Wentworth and Dearne, that a parkway station in South Yorkshire was under consideration and that Grayling and the other local MPs were making the case for a station.[44]
In September 2017, there were further calls for a station in South Yorkshire, while High Speed Two Limited said any new station would require a consultation and that they were still assessing the eight sites proposed in January 2017. Any new station would have to be near existing railway lines in order to provide the best benefits of HS2.[45]
In December 2017, the chairman of HS2 ordered a decision on the parkway station in South Yorkshire to be made soon, and confirmed that only three options were being assessed. The decision will need to be made before a final decision in Parliament is made in 2019.[46]
Route
Phase 1 will create a new high speed line between London and Birmingham by 2026. A high speed link will also be provided to the existing West Coast Main Line (WCML) just north of Lichfield in Staffordshire, which will provide services to the North West of England and Scotland, in advance of later phases.
Four stations will be included on the route: the London and Birmingham city centre termini will be London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street, with interchanges at Old Oak Common and Birmingham Interchange respectively.
The route will enter a twin-bore tunnel near the Mornington Street bridge at Euston Station's throat. After continuing through the underground station at Old Oak Common, an 8-mile (13 km) tunnel follows until West Ruislip, where trains emerge to run on the surface.[47] The line crosses the Colne Valley and the M25 on a viaduct, and then through a 9.8-mile (15.8 km) tunnel under the Chiltern Hills to emerge near South Heath, northwest of Amersham. It will run roughly parallel to the A413 road and the London to Aylesbury Line, to the west of Wendover in what HS2 call a 'green tunnel'. This is a cut-and-cover tunnel under farmland, with soil spread over the final construction in order to reduce the visual impact of the line, reduce noise and allow use of the land above the tunnels for agriculture.[48] After passing west of Aylesbury, the route will run along the corridor of the former Great Central Main Line, joining the former line north of Quainton Road to travel through rural North Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire up to Mixbury, south of Brackley, from where it will cross the A43 and open countryside through South Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. North of a bored tunnel under Long Itchington Wood, the route will pass through rural areas between Kenilworth and Coventry and cross the A46 to enter the West Midlands.
Birmingham Interchange station will be on the outskirts of Solihull, close to the strategic road network including the M42, M6, M6 toll and A45, all crossed on viaducts; also close to Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre. North of the station, a triangular junction (known as the 'delta junction') west of Coleshill will link the HS2 Birmingham city centre spur with the line continuing north, from which Phase 2a and 2b will be developed. The northern limit for Phase 1 will be a connection onto the WCML near Lichfield. This part of the line would be operative with compatible high-speed trains moving onto the classic track WCML while the western leg of Phase 2 is being built.
The city centre spur will be routed along the Water Orton rail corridor, the Birmingham to Derby line through Castle Bromwich and in a tunnel past Bromford.
In November 2015, the then Chancellor, George Osborne, announced that the HS2 line would be extended to Crewe by 2027, reducing journey times from London to Crewe by 35 minutes. The section from Lichfield to Crewe is a part of Phase 2a planned to be built simultaneously with Phase 1, effectively merging Phase 2a with Phase 1. The proposed Crewe Hub incorporating a station catering for high-speed trains will be built as part of Phase 2a.[49]
Phase 2 – West Midlands to Manchester and Leeds
In November 2016, Phase 2 plans were approved by the government with the route confirmed.[50][51] Phase 2 will create two branch lines from Birmingham running north either side of the Pennines creating a "Y" network. Phase 2 is split into two phases, 2a and 2b. Phase 2a is the section from Lichfield to Crewe on the western section of the "Y" and Phase 2b is the remainder of Phase 2.
The western section:
This section of the "Y" route extends north from Lichfield connecting to the northbound classic WCML at Bamfurlong south of Wigan taking services to Scotland, with a branch to the existing Manchester Piccadilly station. A branch on HS2 at High Legh in Cheshire will takes trains on classic track twenty-five miles (40 km) into Liverpool.
The eastern section:
This section of the "Y" branches at Coleshill to the east of Birmingham and routes north to just before York where it connects onto the northbound classic ECML projecting services to the North East of England and Scotland.
West Midlands to Crewe (Phase 2a, western section)
This phase extends the line northwest to the Crewe Hub from the northern extremity of Phase 1, north of Lichfield. At Lichfield HS2 also connects to the West Coast Main Line. Opening a year after Phase 1, most of the construction of phase 2a will be in parallel with Phase 1. The House of Commons approved phase 2a in July 2019.[52]
Crewe Hub (Phase 2a, western section)
The Crewe Hub is an important addition to the HS2 network, giving additional connectivity to existing lines radiating from the Crewe junction.[53] The components are:
An updated station at Crewe, to cope with high-speed trains.
A tunnel under the station to allow HS2 trains to bypass the station while remaining on high-speed tracks.
Branches onto the WCML just to the south and north of the station, to allow HS2 trains to enter the station.[54]
Crewe to Bamfurlong and Manchester (Phase 2b, western section)
HS2 track continues north from Crewe with its end point at Bamfurlong south of Wigan where it branches into the WCML. As the line passes through Cheshire at Millington, it will branch to Manchester using a triangular junction. At this junction "passive provision" for a link to Liverpool will be constructed enabling the future construction of Northern Powerhouse Rail to link to the HS2 network. This will be provided for in the HS2 Phase 2b Hybrid Bill.[55] The Manchester branch then veers east in a circuitous route around Tatton running past Manchester airport through a station at the airport, with the line then entering a 10-mile (16 km) tunnel, emerging at Ardwick where the line will continue to its terminus at Manchester Piccadilly.
West Midland to ECML and Leeds (Phase 2b, eastern section)
East of Birmingham the Phase 1 line branches at Coleshill progressing north east roughly parallel to the M42 motorway, progressing north between Derby and Nottingham the line ends by branching into the northbound ECML south of York, projecting services to the North East of England and Scotland on a mixture of HS2 and classic tracks.[56]
The line from Birmingham northeast bound incorporates the proposed East Midlands Hub located at Toton between Derby and Nottingham. The East Midlands Hub will serve Derby, Leicester and Nottingham. There will be a parallel spur to the northbound HS2 track using the classic track Midland Main Line from a branch at Clay Cross branching back onto HS2 track east of Grimethorpe. Chesterfield and Sheffield will be served by HS2 classic compatible trains being located on this spur.[57] HS2 track will branch directly into a Leeds HS2 terminus.
The initial plan was for the line to serve Sheffield directly via a new raised station adjacent to Tinsley Viaduct, near to Meadowhall Interchange east of Sheffield as the line progresses north. This met with opposition from Sheffield Council, who lobbied for the line to be routed through Sheffield city centre. As a result, Sheffield will be accessed via a spur from HS2 branching off at Clay Cross running though Chesterfield, using the existing classic track Midland Main Line. This spur benefits Chesterfield gaining a HS2 classic compatible service, which was not in the initial plan.[58][59][60][61][62] There is doubt that Sheffield will be served directly by HS2 trains; the existing line from Clay Cross through Chesterfield and Sheffield to Clayton will not be electrified as clearly outlined in Moving Britain Ahead published by the Department for transport in July 2017.
“ As set out in the November 2016 consultation, the infrastructure cost saving assumes the cost of delivering a junction in the Clayton area north of Sheffield back onto the HS2 mainline, but not the costs of electrification of the Midland Main Line (MML) between Clay Cross and Sheffield Midland or electrification of the existing railway from Sheffield to Clayton.[63] ”
A branch from HS2 will take the line to new high-speed platforms constructed onto the side of the existing Leeds station.[64][65][66] Completion is scheduled for 2033.
Possible future phases – Liverpool/Newcastle/Scotland
There are no DfT proposals to extend high-speed lines north of Leeds to Newcastle, west of Manchester to Liverpool, or to Scotland via the west or east coast routes. High-speed trains will be capable of accessing some destinations off the high-speed lines using the existing slower speed tracks, using a mixture of high and low-speed tracks.
Liverpool
The Liverpool City Region was omitted from direct HS2 track access. In February 2016 Liverpool City Council offered £2 billion towards funding a direct HS2 line into Liverpool's city centre. The nearest proposed HS2 track will be 16 miles (26 km) from the city centre and 1 mile (1.6 km) to the nearest boundary of the Liverpool City Region.[67]
Taking HS2 directly to Liverpool was considered via Northern Powerhouse Rail's (HS3) high-speed tracks. A House of Commons Briefing Paper of November 2016 states:[68]
TfN has examined two options that make use of HS2 to connect Manchester and Liverpool. Both options involve construction of a new line to Liverpool, and a junction onto the HS2 route. Under these options it would be possible to deliver NPR's ambitions for a 30-minute journey between Manchester and Liverpool, connecting the cities via Manchester Airport.
A "passive provision", namely a small section of additional HS2 track, would enable the future construction of Northern Powerhouse Rail to link to the HS2 network without disrupting HS2 services once they are running. This will be provided for in the Hybrid Bill.[55]
In November 2018, it was reported that Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling and Chancellor, Philip Hammond were looking at extending HS2 to Liverpool.[69]
Steve Rotheram, the Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, in March 2019 announced the creation of a Station Commission to determine the size, type and location of a new "transport hub" station in Liverpool's city centre, linking with the local transport infrastructure. The station would serve HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail trains. The existing Lime Street station is considered too small, with expansion difficult and expensive. Transport for the North's strategic plan recognised the need for a new station to accommodate HS2 and NPR trains.[70][71][72]
Rotheram stated in May 2019 that the government now preferred to connect Liverpool to HS2 via an existing freight line rather than build dedicated direct high speed track into the city.[73] In June 2019, HS2 officially documented that Liverpool will branch onto HS2 at High Legh in Cheshire and not via Crewe. Passive provision of two branches will be built. From the document High Speed Two: Phase 2b Design Refinement Consultation:
The Secretary of State is minded to include passive provision for two junctions to enable future use of the HS2 line into Manchester for potential NPR services between Manchester, Warrington and Liverpool; and a second to also allow HS2 services between London and Liverpool to use future NPR infrastructure.[74]
Whether the access track from Liverpool to HS2 at High Legh will be high speed or lower speed track has not been determined.
Newcastle
The Scottish Partnership Group for High Speed Rail in June 2011 campaigned for the extension of the HS2 to Newcastle.[75]
Scotland
Business and governmental organisations including Network Rail, CBI Scotland and Transport Scotland (the transport agency of the Scottish Government) formed the Scottish Partnership Group for High Speed Rail in June 2011 to campaign for the extension of the HS2 project north to Edinburgh and Glasgow. It published a study in December 2011 which outlined a case for extending high-speed rail to Scotland, proposing a route north of Manchester to Edinburgh and Glasgow as well as an extension to Newcastle.[75]
In 2009, the then Transport Secretary Lord Adonis outlined a policy for high-speed rail in the UK as an alternative to domestic air travel, with particular emphasis on travel between the major cities of Scotland and England. "I see this as the union railway, uniting England and Scotland, north and south, richer and poorer parts of our country, sharing wealth and opportunity, pioneering a fundamentally better Britain," he stated in his speech.[76]
In November 2012 the Scottish Government announced plans to build a 74 km (46 mi) high-speed rail link between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The proposed link would have reduced journey times between the two cities to under 30 minutes and was planned to open by 2024, eventually connecting to the high-speed network being developed in England.[77] The plan was cancelled in 2016.[78]
In May 2015, it was reported that High Speed Two Limited had concluded that there was "no business case" to extend HS2 north into Scotland, and that high-speed rail services would run north of Bamfurlong and York on conventional track.[79]
Greengauge 21, at the National HSR Conference in Glasgow in September 2015, recommended a mixture of high-speed and existing track to Scotland to reduce journey times. This would use planned HS2 track, existing WCML track and sections of newly laid high-speed track.[80]
In July 2016 it was reported that the 400-metre-long (1,300 ft) HS2 trains using the existing track could not be accommodated at Glasgow Central or Glasgow Queen Street stations, due to insufficient space to extend the platforms; extended or new platforms would require the compulsory purchase of buildings and land. Instead, the proposals suggested a possible third major station in Glasgow.[81] In April 2019, a report by the Glasgow Connectivity Commission called 'Connecting Glasgow' recommended that in order to accommodate the trains, Glasgow Central should be redesigned and extended southwards over the river. It was also proposed that a new southern entrance and concourse close to the site of the now long-disused Glasgow Bridge Street could be built. The commission also highlighted the potential to create a bus station under the station, close to the proposed concourse. The city council had been planning a new HS2 terminal at Collegelands, to the east of the city centre, and the commission recommended this plan should be rejected.[82]
Proposals to extend HS2 to Scotland via the East Coast have included plans for a new station outside York. This station could be built near the A59, the A64, the York Outer Ring Road or the Harrogate to York railway line.[83]
Connection to other lines
