Research and Reports

Annual Report and Accounts 2019-20

21/07/2020

Spending on High Speed 2 increased from £2.08 billion in 2018-19 to £2.54bn in 2019-20, with capital expenditure increasing from £1.82bn to £2.3bn and the value of its net assets doubling from £2.8bn to £5.6bn. The increases reflect ongoing enabling works and the moblisation of main works civil engineering contractors for Phase 1 of the London from London to Birmingham, says HS2 Ltd in its latest annual report and accounts. HS2 also achieved most of its key performance indicators while carbon emissions fell from 1,419 tonnes to 1,002 tonnes. HS2 Chief Executive Mark Thurston received total remuneration of £659,416, chief financial officer Michael Bradley £355,044, and chairman Allan Cook £266,770 during the financial year. The company had 483 female employees and 672 male staff.

HS2: Realising the potential

19/07/2018

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High Speed 2 “can be a catalyst for a fundamental change in Britain”, HS2 Ltd chairman Sir David Higgins says in his foreword to this report. However, he says “there remains a series of fairly fundamental challenges which need to be addressed… if the project is to fulfil its real potential for Britain and truly be a railway for everyone.” Examples include future-proofing the transport network against changes in the way people live, realising the potential for HS2 to become the network’s backbone, and designing services that deliver the broader strategy.

Sheffield and South Yorkshire Report

07/07/2016

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HS2 Ltd proposes that rather than building a stop at Meadowhall or serving either Midland or the currently disused Victoria stations, Sheffield should be served by ‘classic compatible’ trains. These could also potentially call at Chesterfield. Such an option could be combined with realigning HS2’s proposed Eastern Leg further to the east - saving around £1bn. A Parkway station alongside the M18 could also be considered. A variety of reasons led to HS2 Ltd’s recommendation to the Secretary of State for Transport - with chairman David Higgins saying conflicting perspectives meant the choice of location “has proved one of the most difficult we have faced.”

HS2 Guide for Farmers and Growers

31/05/2016

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Creation of High Speed 2 will inevitably mean acquisition of land along the route and this guide is intended “to explain to farmers the policies currently proposed by HS2 Ltd on agricultural property matters.” To be updated through the life of the project, the paper gives details of topics including compensation, and procedures surrounding both temporary occupation of land and permanent acquisition - whether through compulsory purchase or farmers’ requests.

Broad options for upgraded and high speed railways to the North of England and Scotland

01/03/2016

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From London to Edinburgh/Glasgow in sub-three hours. This report seeks to set out ways in which it could be done. Favourite among the options listed is a western route (route A), with a new line that largely follows the course of the West Coast Main Line from the northern end of High Speed 2’s phase 2. At 194 miles (312km) between there and a junction with a new Edinburgh-Glasgow high-speed line, it could provide for journey times of 2hr 30min between London and either city. The estimated cost is £22bn-£25bn, excluding the Edinburgh-Glasgow line and including dropping the line speed to 125mph in places to make it easier to build the line through more difficult terrain. There is acknowledgment that the route would take the new line through sensitive areas - such as in the Lake District. Alternatives discussed include keeping the line speed at 250mph - which would be expected to push the cost to over £27bn - or instead building high-speed diversions to increase speeds on existing lines. However this would be expected to bring much of the cost without the benefits.

High Speed Rail: Preferred Route to Crewe Phase Two Post-Consultation Update: West Midlands to Crewe

30/11/2015

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The extent to which Green Belt land, ancient woodland and historic structures will be damaged or destroyed by High Speed 2’s extension to Crewe are among key aspects reported on in this paper. Of the 38.6 miles of planned line between Fradley and Crewe, 40% (down roughly 2% over the route consulted on) is in cutting and 38% (up 2%) is on embankment, with viaduct making up 10%, at grade alignment 9% and tunnel 3%. Around 8.8 miles of the line is within 150m of an existing major transport route. Alterations include replacing the ‘green tunnel’ at Hopton with a retaining wall, building a longer viaduct past Great Haywood, an extended tunnel near Whitmore Heath, and changes that reduce the estimated loss of Whitmore Wood ancient woodland from 25% to 15%. An Environmental Impact Assessment is to follow.

The Yorkshire Hub: An interim report on the redevelopment of Leeds station

30/11/2015

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Creating a high-speed station with platforms spanning the River Aire virtually at right angles to the existing Leeds station is the recommendation of this report. The concept would allow the two stations to share a “common concourse” - something agreed on as one of the principles for the High Speed 2 terminating point. The idea effectively replaces a previous proposal for an HS2 station to be built at New Lane - which raised concerns that it would be too remote from the city centre and existing services. Redevelopment at Leeds has as its background not only HS2, but also Network Rail forecasts of a 114% increase in passengers over the next 30 years. The existing station is already northern England’s busiest.

High Speed Two: A guide to tunnelling costs

12/06/2015

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Potential costs for the tunnels required for HS2. Provides an interesting study of the different elements that need to be taken into account in the construction of new tunnels and explains that exact costs are not possible to calculate without decisions being made about the exact type of tunnel boring machine to be used and surveys of the material to be excavated.

HS2 Residents Commissioner Report

04/06/2015

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Sets out some recommendations to enhance community engagement in the project, and to better understand the communication needs of residents affected by it, so that they are able to easily access the compensation schemes available. This is the first in what will be a regular series of reports from Deborah Fazan (Commissioner), who also makes some recommendations in the report for amendments to the Residents' Charter to improve clarity.