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 £1.5 billion pa.
• Delivering 22,000 jobs to the West Midlands.
• Up to 2,000 operational and maintenance jobs.
• Travel time of 45 minutes between Birmingham and London, down from the current 83 minutes.
• Travel time of 38 minutes between Birmingham Interchange Station and London from the current 70 minutes.
• Travel times of 41 minutes between Birmingham and Manchester (reduced from 90 minutes) and 57 minutes between Birmingham and Leeds (reduced from two hours).
• Centro has drawn up timetables for new and enhanced passenger and freight services using capacity released on existing lines by HS2
• 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.