High Speed 2

interchange with National Rail at all stations

interchange with National Rail at all stations

High Speed 2 (HS2) is a high-speed railway which has been under construction in England since 2020. The planned route runs between Handsacre in southern Staffordshire and London, with a branch to Birmingham. HS2 will 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 on the existing West Coast Main Line. When proposed in 2010, Phase 1 was expected to open by December 2026; however, as of May 2026, passenger services are not expected to begin before 2036.

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 Curzon Street in the centre of Birmingham. The new Class 895 trains are expected to reach a maximum speed of 320 km/h (200 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 the scheme was first announced in 2012. It was originally to be 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 back 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 a project reset.

Supporters of the project argue that HS2 will increase capacity on the rail network, while promoting a modal shift from road and air to rail to drive regional economic growth. Opponents argue that the project is neither environmentally nor financially sustainable. As of May 2026, HS2 is expected to cost between £87.7 billion and £102.7 billion (in 2025 prices). Services between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street are expected to begin between May 2036 and October 2039, while services to London Euston are projected to follow between May 2040 and December 2043.