High Speed Rail 2 - an overview
An overview of High Speed Rail 2 (HS2): an ambitious, controversial project for a high-speed rail line connecting some of the country's largest cities.
HS2 is a project to build a high-speed rail line in England. HS2 was originally planned to connect London to Birmingham, Manchester, East Midlands Parkway, Leeds and York.
However, in October 2023 then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that HS2 would only run from London to the West Midlands. The Prime Minister highlighted cost overruns, delays and changes to post-covid travel as key reasons why he cancelled the line north of the West Midlands. In October 2024, the Labour government confirmed it would not resurrect the cancelled phases.
What changes has the government announced to HS2?In addition to confirming that it would not resurrect the cancelled phases of HS2, the Labour government also announced that it would take urgent action to tackle the “spiralling” costs and launch an independent review into the oversight of HS2.
In the October 2024 Budget, the government also confirmed that it would provide funding for the HS2 tunnels to London Euston and was looking for private funding for the HS2 station at Euston and the surrounding area. The original plan was for HS2 to run to Euston, but in October 2023 the Conservative government announced plans to for this to be funded by the private sector. This led to uncertainty about whether the HS2 station at Euston and tunnels from Euston to Old Oak Common would attract sufficient private investment.
Why build HS2?The case for a high-speed railway running through the centre of Britain was first formally made by the Labour government in 2010 to address capacity constraints on the existing north-south rail links in England. Proponents of the project also say it will reduce journey times, create jobs and help the country's economy. The government has seen investment in HS2 – and wider transport investment – as an opportunity to drive growth in regional economies and create opportunities for regeneration.
Following the 2023 announcement of the cancellation of the HS2 line north of the West Midlands, the Conservative government argued that there will still be an increase in capacity on the busiest part of the West Coast Main Line due to the construction of Phase 1, and that trains will be able to continue on the existing rail network to serve destinations in the north west, Scotland and other locations. However, critics have questioned whether capacity constraints on the existing network will mean that the full benefits of Phase 1 will not be realised.
What is happening to HS2 legislation?The line was originally planned in three phases:
- Phase 1: London to the West Midlands – legislated for by the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act 2017
- Phase 2a: West Midlands to Crewe – legislated for by the High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Act 2021
- Phase 2b: Crewe to Manchester and West Midlands to York/Leeds
Following the then Prime Minister’s announcement in October 2023, only Phase 1 will now go ahead. When complete, Phase 1 will be the country's second high-speed line, the first being High Speed 1, which connects London to the Channel Tunnel.
A hybrid bill for the western leg, the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill, was introduced to Parliament on 24 January 2022. On 24 April 2022, the House agreed a motion to suspend proceedings and the bill was carried over to the 2022–23 and then the 2023–24 Session.
In March 2024, the government announced its intention to re-purpose the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill for the construction of the part of the route that will be used by Northern Powerhouse Rail. Following the 2024 general election, the High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill was re-introduced on 25 July 2024.
The cancellation of HS2 north of the West Midlands has resulted in uncertainty for related projects, in particular Northern Powerhouse Rail, which was intended to use HS2 tracks between High Legh (near Manchester Airport) and Manchester Piccadilly Station.
How much will HS2 Phase 1 cost?With the potential exception of the HS2 station at Euston, the government is directly funding HS2. In 2012, it was estimated that HS2 Phase 1 would cost £20.5 billion (in 2019 prices). Since then, forecast costs have grown, and the most recent estimate (January 2024) was £49 billion to £56.6 billion (in 2019 prices). This has led to some to question whether Phase 1 should also be cancelled.
Cost increases have been driven by high inflation, as well as scope changes, worse ground conditions than expected, and optimism bias.
How long will HS2 Phase 1 take to build?When proposed in the 2010 white paper, work on Phase 1 was expected to start in January 2013, with an opening date of December 2026 (PDF). Since then, the project has been delayed. The most recent six-monthly report to Parliament (November 2023) gives an estimated opening date between 2029 and 2033, and HS2 Ltd has a target date of 2030. This excludes the HS2 station at Euston and the tunnel between Euston and Old Oak Common.
Delays have been caused by several factors. These include:
- the scale and complexity of the project
- a lack of a detailed schedule
- extra time being spent on developing revised cost and schedule estimates
- extra time being spent on developing and agreeing the detailed technical design
- the ground requiring additional time to settle after being excavated and/or moved
- a revised amount of contingency due to an updated risk assessment
The Minister for Rail has committed to providing a six-monthly progress report to Parliament. The latest six-monthly progress report was made on 15 November 2023. Both the Public Accounts Committee and the Transport Committee have undertaken inquiries into HS2. As a project in the government’s Major Project Portfolio, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority also provides annual updates on the status of HS2.
What is “HS2-light”?Following the cancellation of the HS2 line north of the West Midlands, the mayors of Manchester and the West Midlands commissioned a report which recommended the construction of a cheaper alternative, the Midlands-North West Rail Link (PDF) (sometimes called “HS2-Light”). This would consist of a new railway line between the northern end of the HS2 Phase 1 route, Crewe, and the proposed new railway line between Warrington, Manchester and Yorkshire.
The report also recommended leveraging private sector investment, with central and local government partnering to fund the balance.
In response, the government has said it is considering this plan. It has also said it will not dispose of any land already purchased for HS2 until it has considered whether the land would be needed for this proposed railway line.
Further readingMore information on HS2 is given in the following Library briefings: