When will HS2 be finished?
What is the current status of HS2 after government gives train update
A new railway line between Birmingham and Manchester will not be connected to the High Speed 2 (HS2) scheme, the government has said.
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Sir Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that Labour is “rolling up its sleeves” to deliver greater east-west rail connections with northerners having been let down by “broken promises”.
The prime minister’s Conservative predecessor, Rishi Sunak, announced in 2023 that HS2 would only run from London to Birmingham, with northern extensions being scrapped.
Sir Keir has not reversed that decision, but has otherwise pledged to fund Northern Powerhouse Rail, a scheme to improve connections between major Yorkshire locations to Manchester, Liverpool and the East Midlands.
Read more: Timeline: How HS2 became a £100bn trainwreck for government
What is the current status of HS2?
HS2 is in “peak construction” with foundations, tunnels, viaducts and stations all being built, with tens of thousands of workers at the “most intensive phase,” the government has said.
A completely new line is needed, beyond the existing infrastructure, to allow the trains to run at the speed required, although this will now only go from London to Birmingham.
Stations that HS2 will serve are:
- London Euston; the current capital hub for trains to the west midlands and north west,
- Old Oak Common; a new station in Harlesden, north west London, which will provide a link to the Elizabeth line when it opens,
- Birmingham Interchange; Another new station with connections to National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International railway station,
- Birmingham Curzon Street; the northern terminus of HS2.
A recent key milestone, completed before Christmas, was the construction of viaducts above Water Orton village in Warwickshire.
How fast is HS2 and how long will it take to get from London to Birmingham?
The line will allow trains to travel from London Euston to Birmingham in 49 minutes, a saving of around half an hour, with current journeys taking one hour and 15 to one hour and a half.
It will only be 38 minutes from Birmingham Interchange to London and the trains will run at more than 200mph.
Proponents also argue that journeys on the existing line will be more reliable and regular with space created in schedules by HS2’s existence.
When will HS2 be finished?
Initially, the trains will only run from Birmingham Curzon Street to Old Oak Common, before it later extends southwards to London Euston.
Testing of the trains on an initial 50-mile stretch is set to be ready for around 2029 - but it could be years until passenger trains are ready to run.
The government is expected to announce its updated timeline this spring, with transport secretary Heidi Alexander having previously said it will not be ready in 2033.
“HS2 has made Britain a laughing stock in terms of its ability to deliver big infrastructure projects, and it has to end. This will set out the way we will do that,” a source told the PA news agency.
What is Northern Powerhouse Rail?
Northern Powerhouse Rail is the single biggest transport project in the north since the industrial revolution and will see new lines built and existing lines improved to deliver faser and more reliable services.
Major towns and cities will be boosted by the improvements, which will begin to be felt in the early 2030s.
Journey times on the completed network will be:
- Newcastle – Leeds: 58 minutes (currently 85–90 minutes)
- Leeds – Hull: 38 minutes (currently 55–60 minutes)
- Sheffield – Leeds: 28 minutes (currently 60–70 minutes)
- Sheffield – Hull: 50 minutes (currently 110–150 minutes)
- Manchester – Sheffield: 50 minutes (currently 60–75 minutes)
- Leeds – Manchester: 25 minutes (currently 55–70 minutes)
- Liverpool – Manchester: 26 minutes (currently 30–50 minutes)