Consultant Arup is planning to have a preliminary study into the construction of a second high-speed rail line (HS-2) for the UK, which is expected to involve some major tunnelling work, completed within the next few months, T&TI has learned.
The potential project would run from the existing line, HS-1, to Heathrow airport and then to the Midlands and further north in the UK. Work on the study began seriously about six months ago, said Mark Bostock, a director with Arup.
The idea for the new rail link builds upon the experience of HS-1, formerly known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), and for which Arup was a catalyst. The story of the challenge of building HS-1 has been told in a new book, ‘The Right Line’, which was published at the opening of the link from the coast to London last last year.
Arup is doing the study into HS-2 at its own costs. While declining to comment on the scope of the tunnelling works or the route, Bostock said that the establishing costs and benefits of HS-2 were critical to success, and that like HS-1 the backing of political heavyweights and cross-party support would be vital.
He added that it had yet to be decided if the report, expected in the second quarter, would be issued externally or remain internal in the short-term.
The story of the challenge of building HS-1 has been told in a new book ‘The Right Line’
