Building HS3 could be the key to reducing the cost of HS2 construction.
The HS2 rail line, Britain's ambitious high-speed railway project, has been a subject of much debate and discussion. Originally designed for a top speed of 190mph, similar to the HS1 route to Dover, the project underwent a significant transformation.
Britain's planners aimed high, aspiring for HS2 to become the fastest rail line in Europe. This ambition led to a revised top speed of 225mph, making it faster than both the HS1 route to Dover and France's TGV. However, this decision has been criticised for adding to the project's cost and complexity.
The design process for HS2 was described as starting from scratch, with little else to guide it. Some argue that the design work could have been based on existing high-speed rail lines like the TGV or ICE, resulting in significant cost savings. The design work for HS2 could have been used for future high-speed rail projects, such as HS3 or HS4, but there are concerns that it may be banished to the national archives at Kew, representing a huge waste of resources.
The planning and construction of the HS2 project have been carried out mainly by British engineers and contractors, with some involvement from international firms. The decision not to commission French or German engineers to copy the TGV or ICE systems was likely due to preference for domestic expertise, specific UK requirements, and political-economic considerations rather than direct cost savings from duplicating existing high-speed rail models.
The cost of building the fastest rail line in Europe has accounted for a significant portion of the HS2 bill. The need for novel engineering techniques and new train designs have contributed to the escalating costs, as highlighted by the Stewart Review. The review also revealed that the costs ballooned to over £100bn.
The HS2 rail line was initially designed to increase capacity, but it was later transformed into a project aimed at building the best and fastest high-speed railway in the world. This transformation, according to the Stewart Review, is the reason for the project's high costs.
Despite the controversies and costs, Britain's HS2 rail line still holds a place in history. The Ford Model T, one of the top-selling cars in the 20th century, had more than 15 million produced. The manufacturing process of the Ford Model T became so efficient that by 1924, the list price was less than half of the original price a few years earlier. The HS2 rail line's design process, on the other hand, has been compared to Ford building a single Model T assembly line and then shutting it down immediately.
As the HS2 project moves forward, there are calls for lessons to be learned. Politicians may vow "never again" due to the high costs of HS2, but the most likely outcome is that the design work will be wasted and not reused for future high-speed rail projects. The HS2 rail line's top speed is now intended to be less than that of China's (240mph), making it no longer the fastest in the world. Despite this, the project remains a significant endeavour in Britain's quest for high-speed rail travel.
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