FAQs
(Frequently Asked Questions)
Q. What would a high-speed rail system for Britain look like?
The aim of HSR\\UK is not to define precisely what the UK’s high-speed rail network should look like – that would be based on an analysis of passenger flows between centres of economic activity (cities) and the likely levels of demand.
Q. We already have a railway network, so why don’t we just stick with that?
Because the current rail network is rapidly running out of space. The West Coast Main Line is expected to reach capacity as early as 2020 and the DfT also forecasts insufficient capacity on the Great Western Main Line out of Paddington, the Midland Main Line out of St Pancras and most of the East Coast Main Line from King’s Cross to Edinburgh shortly after this date. Given this, the UK has no option but to build new rail lines, and we believe the best option is to build high-speed lines.
Q. How will high-speed rail affect UK journey times?
This will depend to a great extent on the precise network chosen, but projected timings can be found in the ‘Connectivity and economic development‘ section of this site.
Q. What is the Government’s policy?
In January 2009 the Minister of State Lord Adonis announced the creation of a company, HS2, to consider the case for new high-speed services. The company is tasked with proposing a route between London and the West Midlands, and broad options for taking the line further north, specifically to Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland. HS2 is committed to publishing its findings at the end of 2009.
Q. How does HSR compare environmentally to other modes of transport?
Rail is by far the most environmentally sustainable form of mass transit. Experience from other countries shows that high speed rail is a mode that can encourage significant numbers of people to transfer from other, less sustainable forms of transport, such as the car and plane, meaning that high-speed rail can make a significant contribution to the UK’s carbon reduction initiative.
High-speed trains have a high load factor, typically around 70% (meaning that 70% of the available seats are taken). This compares to around 80% for short-haul aviation and 30% for cars. At these levels the CO2 emissions per passenger kilometre are compared below.
| Mode | Assumed load factor | gCO2/pass km |
|---|---|---|
| Short haul aviation | 80% | 120 |
| Car (new car average) | 30% | 105 |
| High-speed train | 70% | 30 |
In addition to this, high-speed trains are powered by electricity. The UK Government is committed to the progressive decarbonisation of the nation’s energy supply in order to achieve an 80% reduction in the country’s CO2 emissions by 2050. This means that as the UK’s electricity supply is increasingly drawn from less carbon intensive sources, high-speed rail becomes even more environmentally sustainable.
Q. Aren’t running speeds of up to 186mph dangerous?
No! High-speed rail has an unrivalled safety record. In Japan, where the first line in the world opened in 1964, over 7 billion passengers have travelled on high-speed trains and there has not been a single fatality or injury as a result of derailment. Similarly in France, which has the most extensive high-speed rail network in Europe, there have been no deaths due to a train running at these speeds.