Representing companies with relevant experience and an interest in high speed rail, the High Speed Rail Group is committed to supporting the successful delivery of a world-class high speed rail network in Britain.
Our members have helped deliver major infrastructure projects in the UK and around the world, ranging from creating entirely new high speed networks through to maintaining and improving the UK’s existing rail network. This gives us a unique insight into both the shortcomings in the current network, and the transformative capacity, connectivity and carbon benefits that high speed rail can bring.
Our unique set of expertise in engineering, operations, funding and regulation gives us the experience to ensure the extension of the high speed rail network leaves a lasting legacy for the UK. The company’s principal object is:
“to support, promote and champion the development of high-speed rail in Great Britain”.
We believe that developing a high-speed rail network has the potential to positively impact on the UK in a number of ways:
Improved Connectivity: connecting regions more efficiently and sustainably than traditional rail or road networks, reducing the economic isolation of less-developed regions.
Business and Investment Opportunities: better connectivity attracts businesses, leading to the development of new economic hubs outside of London and the Southeast, creating job opportunities and stimulating economic growth in these areas.
Infrastructure Investment: Developing a high-speed rail network requires significant infrastructure investment, stimulating economic activity and create jobs in and around the construction and engineering sectors, which has a multiplier effect on the economy more widely.
Skills development: better connections facilitates the movement of workers between regions, enabling the sharing of skills and knowledge, leading to the development of more diverse and competitive industries in regions that were previously less economically active.
Tourism and Hospitality: improved transport connections make it easier for tourists to explore different regions of the UK in a sustainable way, which can boost the tourism industry, leading to increased revenue for businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and cultural attractions – boosting local economies.
Innovation and Research Hubs: improved connectivity can support the growth of research and innovation hubs in various regions. For example universities and research institutions can collaborate more easily with businesses and other organisations, fostering innovation and economic diversification.
Social Inclusion: good rail links can improve social inclusion by providing efficient transport options for people in less-developed regions, which in turn enhances access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities.
Reduced Travel Times: High-speed trains can significantly reduce travel times between major cities, making it more practical for people to live in one region and work in another.
We continue to support our HSR Apprentice Network
See our membership page for details of how to join the High Speed Rail Group.