High Speed 2 (HS2) is a planned high-speed railway proposed to offer alternative destinations Lille, Brussels, Paris, London Heathrow Airport and London Euston from the English Midlands, Northern England, and potentially the central belt of Scotland.
The project is being developed by High Speed Two Ltd, a company established by the UK government. The line is to be built in two phases with the section between London and Birmingham being the first phase. The route would take the form of a "Y", with a trunk between London Euston and Birmingham Curzon Street. The route would then split into two spurs, one continuing to Manchester Piccadilly via Crewe and Manchester Airport and the other to Leeds via East Midlands and Sheffield Meadowhall.
High-speed rail is supported in principle by the three main UK political parties who argue for High Speed rail and increased capacity. Opposition centres around which cities should be served, the environmental consequences and the economic viability of the scheme.
The Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government formed in May 2010 stated in its initial programme for government its commitment to creating a high-speed rail network. In January 2012 the construction of phase 1 between London and Birmingham was approved. Construction is set to begin in 2017 with an indicated opening date of 2026. In January 2013, the preliminary phase 2 route was announced with a planned completion date of 2032.
Read more about High Speed 2: History
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