High Speed 2, commonly referred to as HS2, is a high speed railway under construction in the United Kingdom. Construction started this year, with an expected completion date of the first portion sometime in the range of 2029 to 2033. The expected cost of the total project is about 56.6 billion pounds, which drew criticism even before the Covid-19 pandemic.
High Speed 1 (officially the
Channel Tunnel Rail Link) which was completed in 2007, was a much smaller project and was also a bit of a magnet for controversy, not the least because it later became insolvent and required government bailout. HS2 will be facing many of the same challenges, but on a larger scale. At the time of this writing, HS2 protesters are in the news because they are camping out in trees to prevent the destruction of ancient woodlands, but there will be complaints of one sort or another right on through 2030 and beyond.
When it is completed the railway line will connect London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds with high speed rail.