# HS2 > Frequently asked questions and key facts about HS2 (High Speed 2), covering costs, the opening date, operations and construction impact. ## Costs ### How much will HS2 cost? The expected cost of delivering HS2 is now in the range of £87.7 – 102.7 billion. This is expressed in mixed price base – spending to date and current prices for future work. In 2019 prices, the cost is £70.9 – 82.2 billion – compared with the previous cost range of £35 – 45 billion. These ranges cover the cost of the whole programme – stretching from London Euston to Birmingham Curzon Street and to the connection to the West Coast Main Line at Handsacre Junction. ### How do we know these figures are accurate? Lessons have been learned from the last five years of construction as well as taking on board recommendations from the James Stewart Review, the National Audit Office and the government’s National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (Nista). This means that HS2’s cost and schedules are now built on a far more rigorous foundation. The reset has been led by HS2 Ltd CEO Mark Wild who used the same experts and methods to deliver Crossrail – making such a success of the Elizabeth Line. They have been through the project with a fine-tooth comb, pricing future work against costs to date. Unlike previous estimates, the cost and schedule ranges are built based on five years of real-world delivery data – the cost and time needed to build bridges, tunnels and embankments. – rather than forecasts. This work has been rigorously checked by an independent panel of experts who have a strong record of delivering railways. ### Why is the cost given as a range rather than a single figure? A major government review led by James Stewart recommended presenting costs in a range to reflect the inherent uncertainty in delivering a major project like HS2, such as changes in inflation. We expect the range to narrow over time as more work is delivered and risks are mitigated. ### Why have costs gone up? Mark Wild carried out an initial assessment of HS2 last year that identified three reasons for rising costs and delays: Construction started too soon in 2020 without completed designs which created significant inefficiencies; The contracts awarded for construction of HS2 have failed to drive performance; HS2 Ltd was not set up to effectively manage delivery of the project. His assessment showed that the huge civil engineering project between London and Birmingham had failed out of sequence, with areas further ahead than others, creating inefficiencies and extra costs. In all, two-thirds of the cost increases announced in May have been attributed to issues with delivery and programme management. A third of the cost increase is linked to inflation, which has significantly impacted the UK economy since 2020 when the previous budget for HS2 was set. ### Why did HS2 become so expensive? How much has HS2 cost taxpayers? Was HS2 worth the money? Three main factors contributed to increased cost of HS2. These included inflation across the construction sector, failure to properly understand the complexity of the project at the start and contracts which put too much risk with HS2 Ltd and not enough with the contractors. HS2 Ltd CEO Mark Wild is currently resetting the project with more realistic timelines and estimated costs, as well as renegotiating contracts. The project is currently expected to cost between £87.7bn and £102.7bn (Q3 2025 prices) of which more than £44bn has been spent. HS2 will be worth the money. ## Opening Date ### When will HS2 open? The first services are expected to run from Old Oak Common in west London to Birmingham Curzon Street between May 2036 and October 2039. It can now be estimated that the full scheme, including both south to Euston and Handsacre Junction to the north, will open between May 2040 and December 2043. ### How far have we got with building HS2? Overall, we are around a third of the way through the delivery of HS2, which includes all structures, stations and the fit out of the systems required to drive the railway. HS2’s civil engineering – the tunnels, bridges, embankments and cuttings that carry the railway between London and Birmingham – is about two-thirds complete. However, great progress has been made in the last 12 months. As we recently outlined, 2025 was a productive year and many notable milestones for the programme were achieved. This includes the completion of the Colne Valley Viaduct, Britain’s longest railway bridge, and the excavation of all 23 miles of deep-bore tunnels on the opening section of the railway between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street. Excavation of HS2’s final major tunnel, from Old Oak Common to Euston, commenced in January 2026. Additionally, figures show 70 percent of the project’s vast earthworks programme has now been delivered and almost 300,000 tonnes of steel has been used during construction – 69 per cent of that required for the railway. The Government confirmed £25.3 billion in funding as part of the 2025 spending review. This provides the certainty needed to complete the major civil engineering works on the opening section of the railway by the end of the decade before moving into installation of the railway systems such as track, power, signalling and communications. ### Why is construction slowing down in some areas? We’re resetting the construction schedule by working backwards from the opening date. We’re sequencing all works in the right order at the right time to drive productivity. This gives suppliers clarity about when and where they’re needed. The government’s four-year funding settlement for HS2 – confirmed as part of 2025’s spending review – helps us plan for the long term and focus resources where they’re most needed. We must slow or pause some work while other sites catch up. This includes most work on the railway between Birmingham and Handsacre in Staffordshire where HS2 connects with the West Coast Main Line – allowing services to run to the north west and Scotland. This creates financial headroom to speed up construction in areas that have fallen behind. This is particularly the central section across Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire. ## Operations ### Why will HS2 trains run more slowly than originally planned? We are proposing a package of changes to simplify the railway – increasing the likelihood of opening the railway as early as possible and at the lowest reasonable cost. These changes include marginally reducing the maximum operating speed from 360kph to 320kph. This would bring HS2 into line with the maximum operating speed of trains elsewhere in Europe and allow the trains to be tested on existing lines while HS2’s infrastructure is completed. It also avoids many of the risks associated with certifying a railway at a speed not operated anywhere in the world. Journey times are barely altered at 320kph compared with 360kph, adding only three minutes (45 versus 42 minutes) on the journey between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street. ## Construction Impact ### What happens if we need to keep your land for longer than we first said? Where HS2 has had to acquire land temporarily and continues to occupy it, we will continue to compensate landowners for losses incurred. This compensation will continue to be paid until the land is retuned to landowners. The need to retain possession of land will be decided on a case-by-case basis. ### Can you claim compensation if construction near you is taking longer than expected? We recognise the impact that construction of HS2 has on communities living along the route and thank them for their patience while the work is ongoing. We understand that the prolonged disruption announced today will be incredibly frustrating for those affected. Impacts, such as noise and traffic disruption from worksites, is monitored and reviewed regularly. HS2 Ltd have a Prolonged Disruption Compensation Scheme, offer noise insulation and temporary rehousing schemes and grant funding to support residents. When will construction finish in your area? We recognise the extended timeframes for construction of the railway will not be welcomed by affected communities but the reset of the HS2 programme was a necessary step to establish a credible schedule to deliver the remaining works, so communities have certainty on when construction will complete. While some parts of the programme are taking longer than planned, HS2 remains committed to minimising disruption and keeping communities informed on how they will be impacted by delays to the construction programme. HS2 is committed to providing regular updates through community meetings, newsletters, works notifications and a 24/7 Helpdesk. In 2025, HS2 secured a generous four-year funding settlement in the Spending Review. This gives us the stability to get the huge civil engineering works finished by the end of the decade – allowing us to then move on to installation of the railway systems such as track, signalling and power. ## Status ### Is HS2 still being built? Which parts have been cancelled? When will it open? HS2 is currently being built between London and Birmingham. The northern legs, between Birmingham and Manchester and between Birmingham and Leeds have been cancelled. The first services are expected to run between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street between 2036 and 2039. An extension to Euston and a link to the existing West Coast Main Line via Handsacre will open between 2040 and 2043. ## Route ### Where does HS2 actually go now? Which cities will serve it? Will it ever reach Manchester or Leeds? HS2 is being built between London Euston, Old Oak Common (a new station in West London), Interchange (a new station in South Warwickshire serving Solihull, Birmingham Airport and the NEC) and Birmingham Curzon Street (a new station in Central Birmingham) but HS2 trains will continue on the existing West Coast Main Line to serve the existing stations in places such as Manchester, Liverpool, Wigan, Warrington, Carlisle, Stoke-on-Trent, Stockport, Preston, Macclesfield, Crewe, Lancaster and Glasgow. HS2 is not currently due to serve Leeds. ## Benefits ### What is the point of HS2? Is it really about speed or capacity? How many passengers will use it? The point of HS2 is to provide much-needed extra capacity on the crowded West Coast Main Line between London and the West Midlands as well as speeding up journey times to destinations further north. Capacity is the main reason for the project, but other benefits include faster and more reliable journeys, a more climate-resilient railway and economic benefits around the major stations. ## Politics ### Why were the northern legs cancelled? Which government made the decision? Could a future government reinstate it? The government made the decision to cancel the eastern leg (between Birmingham and Leeds) in 2021 while Boris Johnson was prime minister. The western leg (Between Birmingham and Manchester) was cancelled in 2023 while Rishi Sunak was prime minister. Whether these legs could be reinstated is a question for the government, not HS2 Ltd. ## Construction ### How much has been built already? What are they building now? Which tunnels and stations are complete? Almost 80% of major structures are complete or under construction including all tunnels between Birmingham and West London. Significant progress has also been made at Old Oak Common and Curzon Street stations. Construction is currently paused on the section linking HS2 to the West Coast Main Line north of Birmingham. ## Economics ### Will HS2 boost economic growth? Will it create jobs? What is the return on investment? HS2 will bring people and places together – widening access to jobs, supporting productivity, and driving business investment and regional growth. Regeneration and economic development is already underway around HS2 stations and sites in the regions we serve, creating growth, new homes and new jobs. ## Environment ### How many trees have been removed? What is the environmental impact? Does HS2 reduce carbon emissions overall? The exact number of trees in a woodland will vary over time, so instead, we count the area it covers. All of the natural habitat lost during construction will be replaced, with a green corridor of new wildlife and habitat sites created along the railway. HS2 will offer zero-carbon journeys from day one of operation. ## Property ### Will HS2 affect my house? Can I claim compensation? How does compulsory purchase work? The effect of construction and operation will depend on where you live. The latest information about construction can be found on our website Communities - HS2 Compulsory Purchase is a process which HS2 Ltd used to buy property needed for the railway. ## Comparisons ### Why is HS2 so much more expensive than high-speed rail in France, Spain or China? There is a range of reasons why HS2 is more expensive than high-speed rail in other countries. Unlike high-speed railways in France and Spain, HS2 included tunnels directly into city centres and new stations to increase capacity. HS2 is also buried deeper in the ground, with more tunnelling and cuttings in rural areas. Britain's supply chains do not have the same experience as they have in other countries. Contracts were also not set up to be as cost-effective as they could have been, which is now being rectified as part of Mark Wild's reset of the project.