High Speed 2 - History

History

High-speed rail has been expanding across the European Union since the 1980s, with several member countries – notably France, Spain and Germany – investing heavily in the construction of new lines capable of operating at over 170 miles per hour (270 km/h). In 2009 there were reportedly 3,480 miles (5,600 km) of high-speed line in operation in Europe; a further 2,160 miles (3,480 km) were under construction and another 5,280 miles (8,500 km) were planned.

High-speed rail arrived in the United Kingdom with the opening in 2003 of the first part of High Speed 1 (then known as the 67-mile (108 km) Channel Tunnel Rail Link) between London and the Channel Tunnel. The development of a second high-speed line was proposed in 2009 by the United Kingdom Government to address capacity constraints on the West Coast Main Line railway, which is forecast to be at full capacity in 2025. Most of the rail network in Britain consists of lines constructed during the Victorian era, which do not permit speeds higher than 125 miles per hour (201 km/h). A document published by the Department for Transport in January 2009 described an increase of 50% in rail passenger traffic and a 40% increase in freight in the preceding 10 years in the UK and detailed a number of infrastructural problems. The report proposed that new high-speed lines should be constructed to address these issues and after assessing various options concluded that the most appropriate initial route for a new line was from London to the West Midlands.