Trains and depots
Your journey experience
HS2’s British-built trains will cut London – Birmingham journeys to under an hour, providing fast, reliable, comfortable travel.
They will run at speeds up to 225mph and be some of the quietest high-speed trains in the world.
Passengers will have more leg room than on any other standard class UK train, with storage space for luggage both overhead and under seats. Every seat has USB-C charging and a fold-down table. The trains use LED lighting that adjusts throughout the day to create a better atmosphere for long journeys.
Where you can go
The trains will run on the new high-speed line between London and Birmingham, reducing journeys to just 49 minutes – compared with 1 hour 17 minutes today.
The trains will switch to existing rail lines north of Birmingham, taking passengers to Manchester, Liverpool, other stations in the North West and Scotland.
This means you’ll be able to travel from London to these destinations on the same train, without having to change – making journeys simpler and more convenient.
Built for everyone
HS2’s fleet of trains is being built so everyone can easily use them. They’ll have step-free boarding at HS2 stations, better positioned grab rails, and improved wheelchair spaces based on feedback from disabled passengers.
Families will find spaces for pushchairs and child-friendly features, and there’ll be improved storage for bikes. Over two and a half years, people have helped us test and improve the design, including people with reduced mobility, cyclists, and families with young children.
We’re working with passengers to finalise the seat design so everyone is comfortable on long journeys.
Slide 1 of 3: Inside a life-sized wooden mock-up of an HS2 train carriage.
Slide 2 of 3: Platform view of a life-sized wooden mock-up of an HS2 train.
Slide 3 of 3: Interior view of a life-sized wooden mock-up of an HS2 train carriage.
Better for the environment
The fully electric trains produce no direct emissions and will be energy efficient and quiet. When they slow down, they’ll capture energy that would otherwise be wasted. The trains will also have improved aerodynamics to save energy.
They are being built using recycled materials where possible and are designed to be recyclable when they’re no longer needed.
Train design explained
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