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Artist's impression of the Chilterns South Grassland project.
Artist's impression of the Chilterns South Grassland project.

Environmental sustainability

Building a greener railway

We’re cutting carbon emissions to reach net zero and investing in nature recovery along the route of HS2.

The climate emergency is one of the biggest challenges we face. How we build new transport networks is critical to tackling it.

Cutting carbon

Our trains will run on zero-carbon electricity. HS2 will free up space on existing lines for more local and regional train services. It will change how people travel and how goods are transported – increasingly by rail rather than by road.

With more space for freight trains, we’ll take hundreds of thousands of lorries off the road every year. An extra freight train removes up to 76 lorries from our roads – cutting traffic and carbon emissions, and improving air quality.

Discover more about our high-speed trains

Our environmental sustainability progress

We assess how we’re reducing our impact on the environment and report on our progress in setting and meeting environmental targets.

Read our report

A climate-resilient railway

To provide better journeys and support economic growth, HS2 must withstand a changing climate. We’re designing the railway to cope with more extreme weather.

Green corridor

We’re creating a green corridor along the railway with new wildlife habitats and green spaces.

How we're managing construction impacts

We want to keep disruption to a minimum for local residents and businesses, reduce the impact on roads and transport, and protect the environment.

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