In 2022 the High Speed Rail Group recruited a Taskforce of industry and academic experts to inform a report setting out new analysis of how high speed rail can reach Scotland, and how it will benefit inter-city travel. The report – High Speed Britain Scottish Inter-City Connectivity – contains recent Read more…
The deposit of the Hybrid Bill for the Western Leg of HS2 is a key moment in the advancement of HS2, as plans are progressed to create a truly North-South railway with connections between Crewe and Manchester. High speed rail links, which will change the nation’s economic geography, are one Read more…
The publication of Sir Peter Hendy’s Union Connectivity Review is recognition of the incredibly important role of rail – and of high speed rail – in providing much needed connectivity benefits across the UK. High Speed Rail Group welcome the planned creation of UKNET – a strategic approach to development Read more…
We welcome the progress being made by Government in formulating plans for a new pan-UK strategic transport network, including faster and higher capacity connections from HS2 to Scotland and North Wales – which will benefit both passengers and freight. The Prime Minister’s comments in today’s Daily Telegraph on improving rail Read more…
On 30th June 2020 the Prime Minister announced a review would be undertaken into union connectivity, exploring ways to improve connectivity between our 4 nations and bring forward funding to accelerate infrastructure projects. Chaired by Sir Peter Hendy CBE, the review will make recommendations on how the UK government can level Read more…
The next in our online In Conversation With… event featured Scotland Office Minister, Iain Stewart MP, Alastair Young, Transport Scotland and Jim Steer, HSRG Director. This 1-1 interview and audience Q&A was chaired by columnist and broadcaster Ayesha Hazarika – and provided a timely opportunity to discuss Anglo-Scottish high speed Read more…
It has taken a while for HS2 service plans to focus on Carlisle as the right place to divide and join Glasgow/Edinburgh high-speed train portions. Earlier plans used Carstairs – and left Carlisle with no HS2 London service. HSR Group wants to see Governments in Westminster and Holyrood work together Read more…
Our latest report High-Speed Rail and Scotland sets out how, through a mixture of new high speed lines and the upgrading of existing lines, joining the route to Scotland would enhance connectivity between the two nations by cutting travel time between London and Scotland to just over three hours; paving the Read more…
It may have been 6 years since Fast Track Scotland was published (which set out the case for Scotland’s inclusion in a UK wide high speed rail network) but the momentum to drive forward this vision is still going strong. Thanks to a tight operational relationship with colleagues from DfT and Network Rail, 2017 was a whistle-stop year for High Speed Rail Policy at Transport Scotland (TS), and we are (more…)
The Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure Investment and Cities in Scotland and the UK Transport Minister met in Waverley Station to launch two long awaited reports, one from HS2 Ltd on Anglo-Scottish high-speed rail, the other on the case for high-speed rail between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Their common aim has settled on what the Scottish Ministers have long sought: a three hour journey time from Edinburgh and Glasgow to London.
The High Speed Scotland Summary Report sets out the appraisal of a high speed rail connection between Glasgow and Edinburgh, which emerged from initial feasibility work carried out by Transport Scotland when considering potential options for linking Scotland to the high speed network being developed by HS2 Ltd. The report also takes into account the Broad options for upgraded and high speed railways to the North of England and Scotland study, which outlines findings from the feasibility study of delivering journey times of 3 hours or less between London and Scotland, by looking in to upgrade options to the existing West Coast Main Line (WCML) and East Coast Main Line (ECML), and options for high speed routes extending from HS2 Phase Two.
Keith Brown, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities (more…)