Benefits of HS2

 

High Speed Rail will significantly reduce travel times between the UK's major cities and provide international rail connections. This in turn will release huge capacity on the existing network. These benefits are not achievable by upgrading the existing network alone. 

 

High Speed Rail is projected to generate significant local and national benefits, including:

• Boosting the West Midlands' economy by £2.5 billion.
• Up to 10,000 new construction jobs.
• Up to 2,000 operational and maintenance jobs.
• Travel time of 49 minutes between Birmingham and London from the current 85 minutes.
• Travel time of 38 minutes between Birmingham Interchange Station and London from the current 70 minutes.
• £5.3 billion in economic benefits to the West Midlands region.
• Up to 60-70,000 local jobs by 2040 as a result of relocation of jobs from other areas in the UK.
• An increase in West Midlands GVA of almost six per cent by 2040.
• Travel times of 54 minutes between Birmingham and Manchester and 65 minutes between Birmingham and Leeds.
• Reduced carbon of up to a million tonnes a year by 2055.

Existing Rail Enhancements

The transfer of the majority of intercity services on to High Speed Rail will provide the once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the way people travel in the West Midlands and across the UK.

 

At the same time, it will provide capacity for more rail freight, allowing the West Midlands to trade with the rest of the UK, Europe and the rest of world.