HS2

FirstGroup and Trenitalia announce new MDs for partnership

27.11.19: The joint takeover of the West Coast Mainline between FirstGroup and Trenitalia will take place on the 8th of December. They announced yesterday (26 Nov) the appointment of their two Managing Directors. Phil Whittingham, Managing Director o...

FTA asks government to guarantee the future of HS2 for freight

18.11.19: The recent HS2 review uncertainty has prompted Freight Transport Association (FTA) to request confirmation from government on the future of HS2. FTA is calling on government to secure the high-speed railway’s future and ensure busines...

RIA launch RAIL 2050 Manifesto ahead of general election

13.11.19: Railway Industry Association (RIA) has launched the Rail 2050 Manifesto, informing parties in the upcoming election of what the rail industry needs to thrive and develop long term. The report outlines the next 30 years in the rail industry...

Leaked HS2 review draft recommends staying on track with the project

12.11.19: According to an early draft of the HS2 review seen by The Times newspaper, report author Doug Oakervee is set to recommend ministers proceed with the full Y-shaped line as currently planned, with only relatively minor revisions to the plann...

HS2 Oakervee review delayed until 2020

05.11.19: The deputy chair of the Oakervee Review, Lord Berkeley, has revealed that publication of the government’s independent review in HS2 is set to be delayed until after the general election. A HS2 decision had previously been expected bef...

North and Midlands must take control to deliver true benefits of HS2 and NPR, says review

17.10.19: The North and Midlands must take control of their high-speed rail network, argues a report from the Northern Powerhouse Independent Review warning against cancelling the major infrastructure projects without viable alternatives. The review...

ORR quotes £26m in charges per year to continue using HS1

01.10.19: The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has today announced if train operators want to keep using High Speed 1 (HS1) and preserve the condition of the assets, they will pay £26m per year. HS1 operates 67 miles of high-speed track connecting...

Rail college rebrand to reflect growing demand of rail sector

01.10.19: The National College for High Speed Rail is getting a fresh new look, after it announced today that it is rebranding to the National College for Advanced Transport & Infrastructure (NCATI). The college has been serving the rail industry...

Leader of Rotherham Council and Mayor of Doncaster ask Government to re-think HS2

30.09.19: Leader of Rotherham Council, Chris Read and Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, have shared concerns with Douglas Oakervee, the man behind the HS2 review. They have restated their position to go back to the original Meadowhall option or fundamen...

Potential HS2 benefits ‘felt by millions across the UK’

26.09.19: Midlands Connect have investigated exactly what the benefits of the HS2 stand to be and who will be benefitting from them.  The first phase of HS2 has already led to record levels of investment in the West Midlands and generated thousa...

West Midlands HS2 interchange station development granted up to £20m

18.09.19: The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has agreed to fund up to £20m for a UK Central Hub in Solihull alongside the HS2 station development. The plans to develop the new HS2 Interchange Station within the 340-acre Arden Cross are...

Government announces HS2 review, 'go or no-go' decision by year-end

21.08.19: The government is set to launch a review into the HS2 project, transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced. The review into the high-speed rail link will conclude a “go or no-go” decision by the end of the year, confirming, r...

Boris Johnson not looking to scrap HS2 despite £100bn cost

01.08.19: Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said despite estimates suggesting the HS2 high speed rail line will cost more than £100bn, he was not currently intending to scrap any major infrastructure projects. Having announced a review into HS2...

HS2 Director says on schedule to get Royal Assent 'by Christmas'

18.07.19: An HS2 Director told delegates at the innovative TransCityRail Midlands event at The Vox Conference Centre in Birmingham that the multi-billion transformation project was “on schedule to get Royal Assent for the 2A phase by Christmas.&rdqu...

Date set to cut HS2 Wendover bypass noise

18.07.19: Work to lay a ‘very low noise surface' along Wendover bypass is scheduled to start during August bank holiday week and is expected to take ten days. The £1.51 million scheme, funded by HS2 as mitigation for noise construction tr...