Recognising the need for action, in June 2019 the UK Government committed to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to Net Zero by 2050. This is hugely important, but now we need to ensure that this ambition is realised – with organisations playing a huge role in the efforts to successfully Read more…
High Speed Rail Group has submitted a proposal to this year’s Comprehensive Spending Review calling for Government to fund a Deliverability Study to explore the options and proposals to connect Scotland to HS2. This would reduce journey times from London to Scotland to close to three hours, decarbonise the journey, Read more…
Our latest report makes the case for putting rail at the heart of a green post-pandemic economic recovery. Building back better – the green case for rail investment after the pandemic has been developed in partnership with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), and calls for a major investment in high Read more…
Responding to the announcement that HS2 is set to commence full construction, High Speed Rail Group (HSRG) commented: “HS2 is the most significant infrastructure project in a generation and will be a flagship programme as the nation seeks to build back better from Covid-19. “Industry will redouble our efforts to Read more…
Our latest report calls on the Government to commit to decarbonising Britain’s railways by 2040 by making a “transformative investment” in a national high speed rail network. Responding to the Department for Transport’s consultation: Decarbonising Transport: Setting the Challenge outlines how as a new, zero carbon transport spine for Britain, HS2 Read more…
We have submitted a response to the BEIS Committee call for evidence on post-pandemic economic growth. The response focuses on the rail sector in the areas as outlined by the Committee and highlights the role a national high speed rail network, including HS2, could play in the country’s recovery and Read more…
Our latest online panel event was arranged jointly with HS2 Ltd to coincide with International Women in Engineering Day – and is part of our ongoing work to increase the representation of women in the sector. The panel was made up of senior women from our membership and female apprentices Read more…
The Costain Skanska joint venture (CSjv) team, working in partnership with HS2, has shared details of its legacy programme that has created vast numbers of local jobs, invested in SMEs and challenged the stereotypical diversity of a construction project. These outcomes known under the term ‘Social Value’ support the long-term wellbeing and resilience of individuals, communities, and society in general.
Costain Skanska’s social value activities have included partnering with Buses for Homeless (B4H), a social enterprise which aims to get homeless people off the street and into full time sustainable employment and accommodation. B4H refurbishes decommissioned London buses into spaces suitable for their guests to live and takes them through an intensive 12-week training programme. The site set up includes separate buses for sleeping; cooking and eating; learning; and wellness and therapy.
Speaking of the initiative, Dan Atkins, Founder of Buses 4 Homeless said: (more…)
Sustainability and resilience have never been more important in transport infrastructure than now. The ambition for a megaproject such as HS2 has always been to build the most sustainable railway of its type in the world. Representing companies with relevant experience and an interest in high speed rail, the High Speed Rail Group is acutely aware of the challenges to industry that the government’s net zero carbon target brings. As part of its commitment to managing carbon footprint, HS2 has also set ambitious targets for its supply chain to minimise the whole life carbon emissions of its assets including buildings. For stations this includes achieving net zero carbon in operation for regulated emissions and achieving a 50 per cent reduction in whole life carbon emissions against a baseline for a typical station.
Arup has produced a design for HS2’s new Interchange station, to be built near Solihull and the NEC in the West Midlands. The station will be one of the best-connected places in the UK, with customers (more…)
HS2 has key role to play in integrating the national economy more closely with London’s and enabling the global gateway the capital presents to be widened throughout the country. The latest report from our Voices series brings together a range of opinions from politics, business and industry – all advocating Read more…