On 28 January 2012, the Secretary of State for Transport,
Patrick McLoughlin, announced the go-ahead for HS2, a 331 mile high
speed inter-city rail network that will connect major cities in
England.
HS2 is one of the most significant, and controversial,
improvements to Britain's rail infrastructure in over a century
and follows a public consultation on the national strategy for high
speed rail which ran from February to July 2011.
The two phases of the route planned so far will take on a
"Y" shape. Phase 1 will connect London to the West
Midlands and is intended to become operational in 2026, and phase 2
will connect the West Midlands to Leeds and Manchester and this is
intending to become operational in 2032. The rolling stock for the
route has not yet been confirmed although the Department for
Transport (DfT) has confirmed the trains would have a maximum speed
of at least 220 miles per hour (350 km/h) and length of 200 metres
(660 ft).
