archeologia: History of High Speed 2

Evidence: 72 • authority: 72

High Speed 2 (HS2) is a new high-speed railway line in England. It was originally planned to connect London with the city centres of Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds directly on new high speed track. East Midlands Airport was also to have been served. Phase 2 was planned for completion in 2032–2033. However, it was finally cancelled on 4 October 2023. Phase two was split into two sub-phases: Phase 2a: the section from Birmingham to Crewe, which was to be built simultaneously with phase 1, effectively merging with phase 1 Phase 2b: the eastern leg of phase 2 which was scrapped in 2021. The concept of HS2 was that all major cities covered would have a city centre HS2 station. Liverpool, along…

Evidence: 50 • authority: 72

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 Eu…

Evidence: 36 • authority: 72

Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) is a proposed major rail programme designed to substantially enhance the economic potential of the North of England. The project aims to transform rail services between major Northern cities, improving journey times and frequencies using new and significantly upgraded railway lines in the region. The current proposals, announced in January 2026, include improving connectivity between Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford, and York; a new route between Liverpool and Manchester via Warrington and Manchester Airport; and improved trans-Pennine connections between Manchester and Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, and York, building on the Transpennine Route Upgrade. The project has…

Evidence: 20 • authority: 72

The British Rail Class 895 is a type of electric multiple unit train on order for the under-construction High Speed 2 (HS2) high-speed rail line in the United Kingdom. The contract was awarded to Hitachi–Alstom High-Speed (HAH-S), a 50/50 joint venture between Hitachi Rail and Alstom, for 54 trains, which will be constructed in the United Kingdom. The trains will be based on an evolution of the Zefiro V300 platform and able to run at a top operational speed of 360 km/h (225 mph). The 200 m-long (656 ft) electric multiple units (EMUs) will have the option to couple two units together to create a 400 m (1,312 ft) train. The trains are designed to be 'conventional compatible', capable of leavi…

Evidence: — • authority: 65