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posted by martyb on Thursday February 13 2020, @05:27AM   Printer-friendly
from the Green-Signal dept.

The construction of HS2, a high speed rail link between London and the north of England, has been approved. The announcement was made by Boris Johnson yesterday. Phase 1, due for completion in 2028 at the earliest, will be between London and Birmingham; Phase 2, due in 2035 at the earliest, will be two separate lines onwards to Manchester and Leeds.

The trains will travel at up to 250 mph. They will otherwise be conventional, and will take electrical power from overhead catenary. The line will have connections with existing ones, enabling some trains to continue at lower speeds to further destinations, such as Liverpool and Scotland.

The routes will be broadly parallel with existing ones, which are generally running at full capacity. Rail passenger travel in the UK has greatly increased in recent years and this, rather than the reduction in journey times, is the main driver for the project.

Note : It is called HS2 because it is the second high speed line in the UK, HS1 being the link from St. Pancras International railway station in central London to the Channel Tunnel.


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  • (Score: 2) by isostatic on Thursday February 13 2020, @06:59PM (2 children)

    by isostatic (365) on Thursday February 13 2020, @06:59PM (#957817) Journal

    I know very little about rail on the east side of the pennines. I don't think I've ever been on the ECML, and only once on MML. Been on transpennine a couple of times from Manchester to Leeds and York (which is horrendously overcrowded)

    HS2 will clearly help Leeds-London traffic by adding thousands of seats an hour. It will also take current Leeds-London passengers off the trains allowing more seats for those traveling to/from Doncaster, Wakefield etc.

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  • (Score: 2) by kazzie on Friday February 14 2020, @06:34AM (1 child)

    by kazzie (5309) Subscriber Badge on Friday February 14 2020, @06:34AM (#958097)

    It will once the second phase is built (assuming it is built as currently planned).

    • (Score: 2) by isostatic on Friday February 14 2020, @01:52PM

      by isostatic (365) on Friday February 14 2020, @01:52PM (#958147) Journal

      Yes, the strongest argument against HS2 is "they won't build it to the north".

      Even then it will at least help Birmingham