High Speed 2

High Speed 2
High Speed 2
	The planned extent of HS2 as of October 2023
Overview
Status	Under construction
Locale	Greater London; South East England; West Midlands;
Termini	London Euston; Birmingham Curzon Street;
Connecting lines	West Coast Main Line
Stations	4
Website	www.hs2.org.uk
Service
Type	High-speed railway
System	National Rail
Depot(s)	Washwood Heath
Rolling stock	British Rail Class 895
History
Commenced	2017
Planned opening	Uncertain (originally 2033)
Technical
Line length	230 km (140 mi)
Number of tracks	Double track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Loading gauge	UIC GC
Minimum radius	8,250 m (5.13 mi)
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line
Operating speed	360 km/h (225 mph) maximum, 330 km/h (205 mph) routinely
Signalling	ATO over ETCS Level 2
Maximum incline	3.5%
Schematic map
Schematic map
As of October 2023
	pedestrian walkway to
	St Pancras International
	interchange with National Rail at all stations
Original plan, pre-2021
	Northern Powerhouse Rail
	to East Coast Main Line
	to York & Newcastle
	West Coast Main Line
	to Liverpool, Glasgow & Edinburgh
	Phase 1
	Phase 2
	pedestrian walkway to
	St Pancras International
	interchange with National Rail at all stations

High Speed 2 (HS2) is a high-speed railway which has been under construction in England since 2019. The planned route runs between Handsacre, in southern Staffordshire, and London, with a branch to Birmingham. HS2 is to be Britain's second purpose-built high-speed railway after High Speed 1, which connects London to the Channel Tunnel. London and Birmingham are to be served directly by new high-speed track, with services continuing beyond the core route via the existing West Coast Main Line. The majority of the project was planned to be completed by 2033, but this was delayed following a programme reset in 2025, with no new completion date announced.

The new track is being constructed between London Euston and Handsacre, near Lichfield in southern Staffordshire, where a junction will connect HS2 to the West Coast Main Line. New stations are planned at Old Oak Common in northwest London, Birmingham Interchange near Solihull, and Birmingham city centre. The trains are designed to reach a maximum speed of 360 km/h (220 mph) on HS2 track; on the conventional rail network, services will operate at speeds of up to 200 km/h (125 mph).

The length of the new track has been reduced substantially since it was first announced in 2013. It was originally to split into eastern and western branches north of Birmingham Interchange. The eastern branch would have connected to the Midland Main Line at Clay Cross in Derbyshire and the East Coast Main Line south of York, with a branch to a terminus in Leeds. The western branch would have connected to the West Coast Main Line at Crewe and south of Wigan, with a branch to a terminus in Manchester. Between November 2021 and October 2023 the project was progressively cut until only the London to Handsacre and Birmingham section remained. Work on the section between Birmingham and Handsacre was deferred for four years in October 2025, as part of the project's reset.

The project has both supporters and opponents. Supporters believe that the additional capacity provided will accommodate passenger numbers rising to pre-COVID-19 levels while driving a further modal shift to rail. Opponents believe that the project is neither environmentally nor financially sustainable.