HS2: Connecting the UK

HS2 otherwise known as High-Speed Railway is a huge railway project that will be completed in a number of stages and will connect London, the Midlands, and the North of the UK via 25+ stations.

Phase one will see the creation of 134 miles of track connecting London and Birmingham through 31 tunnels. It is expected for phase one works to be completed between 2029 and 2033. This phase will help to reduce journey times and congestion when travelling by providing more seats.

Phase 2a will involve the construction of a line servicing the West Midlands to Cheshire, this will be conjoined with phase one works to allow passengers to travel between London and Cheshire.

Phase 2b will construct a split between an Eastern and Western line. The West track will run from Crewe to Manchester and the Eastern leg will create a high-speed line between the West Midlands and Leeds.

There has been a number of issues raised against the construction of HS2, among those is the environmental impact. The construction of HS2 not only increased connectivity throughout the UK but will prioritise generating a healthier environment. To date, HS2 is one of the UK’s largest environmental projects through the creation of new wildlife habitats and more. Currently, 60 new wildlife habitats e.g. ponds, grasslands have been landscaped alongside the route to encourage wildlife to thrive. 16 of the bridges that HS2 will pass through are specifically designed eco, green bridges that will be covered in various plants and vegetation.

A total of 350,000 trees have been planted during the construction of phase one, with a total of 7 million trees estimated to have been planted along the line by project completion. Portions of the HS2 funding budget have been dedicated to the conservation of local woodland.

In the long run, the HS2 will benefit the UK’s carbon footprint as the railway's carbon output is 17 times less than the equivalent plane journey and 7 times less than the equivalent car journey.

While HS2 is prioritising being environmentally conscious, the project construction and completion will benefit the UK economy. The project itself will generate over 500,000 jobs within the UK. HS2 is expected to provide a £15 billion annual boost to the British economy. Over the 250 construction sides, nearly 2,000 UK based businesses are providing services to aide the construction of HS2.

UCS are helping to install a visitors’ centre in Gloucester as part of the HS2 project. This will include the installation of:

• Mini Data Centre
• Cat 6a Cabling System
• Interactive Touch Screens
• Interactive Coffee Table
• Clickshare System

To read more about UCS’ services click here

To read more about HS2 click here