The UK Government last week gave the go-ahead to the HS2 project which will provide high speed links between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.
We recently published a blog series looking at the opportunities HS2 will provide, and highlighting from a research perspective, the work being carried out by UKRRIN members helping to ensure the reliability of the infrastructure needed to support high speed rail travel.
Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Railway Industry Association (RIA), said:
“HS2 will not just boost the UK’s economy and connectivity, but will also enable other major rail infrastructure projects to be delivered too, such as Northern Powerhouse Rail, Midlands Rail Hub, East West Rail, Crossrail 2, and a range of other schemes.
“It will also unlock economic growth throughout the UK, not only by directly connecting eight out of ten of the UK’s largest cities, but also by increasing capacity at 73 stations serving towns and communities across the country, 54 of which aren’t even on the route.
“The jobs and housing benefits are clear too. HS2 already employs 10,000 people, will support 15,000 by the end of the year, and 30,000 at peak construction. And beyond the project itself, will act as a catalyst for some 500,000 jobs and 90,000 homes.
“So we now urge everyone – whatever their previous view on HS2 – to get behind this important project and to work together with the railway industry to deliver the full scheme, whilst also ensuring value for money for passengers and taxpayers in the months and years ahead.”
We look forward to seeing what further research opportunities the project brings about and understanding how the UK rail community can collaborate to deliver this key infrastructure change.
Ends
Learn more in our blog series here:
UKRRIN High Speed Blog – Opinion Piece, RIA and HS2
UKRRIN High Speed Blog – Pantograph-OLE Interaction at High-Speed
UKRRIN High Speed Blog – Recent and current research in high speed railway infrastructure – part 1
UKRRIN High Speed Blog – Recent and current research in high speed railway infrastructure – part 2