High Speed Rail 2 (HS2)
Various UK
| Title: | High Speed Rail 2 (HS2), Various UK |
| Markets: | Infrastructure |
| Client: | HS2 |
| Services: | Landscape planning, Landscape architecture |
| Region: | United Kingdom |
| Date: | Ongoing |
| Team: | Arup + |
| Photography: | Copyright: HS2 /ARUP |
High Speed Two (HS2) is the new high-speed railway linking London and Birmingham to Manchester, the East Midlands and Leeds. In addition to reducing travel time, it will also increase the rail network's capacity and serve as an economic catalyst to boost the economy of the northern cities.
HS2 will be a Y-shaped rail network that will be built in three phases. The first will see the construction of a new 225km line between London and Birmingham by 2026. It will include a connection to Europe via High Speed 1 and the Channel Tunnel. Phase 2a will extend the line some 58km between Birmingham and Crewe. Phase 2b comprises the reminder of Phase Two, between Crewe and Manchester and between the West Midlands and Leeds, with connections to the West Coast Main Line and East Coast Main Line.
Due to the size and complexity of the scheme, consent to build it has to be obtained through an Act of Parliament.
Gillespies has supported Arup’s landscape and engineering teams in several roles on Phase 2A, Phase 2A AP and Phase 2B). Our work has included detailed design of landscape and visual mitigation proposals, landscape and visual assessment, authorship of hybrid bill documents, review of landscape architects outputs and preparation of GIS and graphic material—this required liaison with HS2 representatives and supporting the public consultation process.
