14.11.17
Looking back over HS1, 10 years on
While the HS2 project continues to gain ground and press ahead with major contracts despite recent staffing controversies, today sees its older, considerably smaller sibling turn 10 years old.
HS1, the line running between St Pancras International and the Channel Tunnel, was completed at a total cost of £7.3bn a full 16 years after its announcement in 1991.
A decade on and looking back at the project, it is possible to see the ways it has improved as a service since 2007.
The number of passengers using HS1 has doubled since launch, with services carrying over 20 million domestic and international passengers in 2016 alone. In addition, the line boasts an average delay per train of less than five seconds, and recorded passenger satisfaction on the domestic service at 93%.
HS1 also has a lot to teach its younger counterpart about the economic benefits that high-speed rail can bring to the country – if there’s still enough time to embed these lessons, that is.
Over 90% of leading businesses surveyed in the Kent region said the line had benefitted them in one way or another, and with projects like Leeds station and the Sollihull development framework counting on HS2, it seems a positive sign.
Another 80% said that the HS1 line had helped them grow their businesses and 89% said it made Kent a more attractive place to open a company.
Dyan Crowther, CEO of HS1 Ltd, said the project was a “catalyst for growth” in the region – something that HS2 bosses will hope can be transferred to the new high-speed project.
“We believe that high speed rail is essential to the nation’s future growth, improving connectivity and bringing people closer together than ever before,” Crowther added. “We are proud to be flying the flag for British high-speed rail and see HS1 as a model for the future.”
Top image: DfT
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