#Hs2 rail route uk full#

The full Y-shaped network, including connections with the Channel Tunnel and Heathrow, will cost £32.7bn ($51.9bn). The first phase of HS2 will cost around £16.3bn ($25.8bn) to construct. More than 50% of the 140-mile route will pass through cuttings or tunnels, while around 56.5 miles (91km) will be partly or completely concealed to reduce noise and visual effects in neighboring communities. The proposed London to Birmingham line will be about 140 miles (225km) long and the total Y network will be around 330 miles (531km) long. The hybrid bill for Phase 2b is anticipated to be introduced in the Parliament in the second half of 2020. The House of Commons passed the Phase 2a in July 2019 and the hybrid bill for the phase is expected to be passed in 2020. The second phase of the project is proposed to be implemented in two stages, Phase 2a and Phase 2b. A hybrid bill providing the authority to construct phase I of the project cleared both Houses of Parliament and subsequently obtained Royal Assent in February 2017. The HS2 project work under the first phase involves engineering, design and environmental work. The government approved the recommended route in January 2012. The public consultation on the proposals was completed by July 2011. The company submitted the proposals to the government in the first quarter of 2010 and the preferred route option was announced in October 2010. Timeline of the HS2’s developments and total line lengthĪ company named HS2 was set up in January 2009 by the Department for Transport (DfT) for the development of the project. The project implementation cost has escalated from an originally estimated £56bn ($72.61bn) to £106bn ($136.45bn). The UK currently operates a 108km high-speed railway line known as High Speed 1 (HS1). The railway line was originally planned to be opened to passengers in 2026, but the commissioning is expected to take place between 20. The UK Government approved the start of project work in April 2020, paving the way for companies to proceed with construction work in accordance with safety measures for the Covid-19. The preparation works for the project are nearing completion and major construction work on phase I of the HS2 line is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2020. The HS2 network will reduce journey times between some of the country’s largest cities and create economic benefits and thousands of jobs. The project will provide vital transportation links between cities and regions across the UK.

It is one of the most substantial transport infrastructure projects ever built in the UK. The route is also referred to as the Y network since it is roughly in the shape of the letter Y. HS2 is a new high speed railway line under development set to run between London and Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.