Britain’s new high-speed railway
Benefits
Better journeys, economic growth
HS2 is Britain’s new high-speed railway — boosting access to jobs, supporting productivity and driving business investment.
When we’re fully operational, we’ll connect central London and Birmingham in just 49 minutes, bringing our two biggest economic centres closer together. That means more jobs, bigger markets and better opportunities for people across both regions. And investment is already flowing in before a single service runs.
North of Birmingham, HS2 trains will connect to the West Coast Main Line, extending the benefits to the North West and Scotland.
The impact reaches further than the tracks. Passengers will get faster, more reliable journeys. Businesses will have better connections to people and markets. Communities will benefit from infrastructure investment and new skills. And thousands of extra seats each day will free up space across the wider network — improving local and freight services.
Why and how we're building HS2
HS2 works near you
Sign up for updates about construction in your area. We’ll tell you what we’re building, when we’re working and what we’re doing to reduce disruption.