HS2 building begins: How long will construction take and what is the full route?

But how long will building take - and what is the exact route for the line? Here's everything you need to know.

Where will construction begin?

Work will take place in the first phase between London and the West Midlands.

The project will begin with the biggest engineering challenges – such as the stations and tunnels – followed by the main viaducts and bridges.

Most activity this year will be focused on HS2’s city centre stations and major construction compounds, including at Old Oak Common, west London, and Calvert, Buckinghamshire.

What is the route?

Picture: HS2

The high-speed railway will travel from London to Birmingham, the East Midlands, Leeds and Manchester.

An interactive version of the map can be found here: https://www.hs2.org.uk/where/route-map/#8/53.254/-1.741.

How will it affect the Three Rivers district?

Once HS2 is built it will see 1.4 miles of track just south of Maple Cross and near West Hyde between a two mile viaduct over the Colne Valley.

Fears have been raised about the effect a temporary settlement, built in Maple Cross for HS2 workers, could have on the Three Rivers district in Hertfordshire.

Chalfont Lane in Maple Cross has been closed since 2017 and will remain closed until the end of 2025. It is intended to carry the construction traffic straight from the M25. 

Read more: 

• Road to shut for nine years to pave way for HS2 construction work
• Three Rivers councillor calls green light for HS2 'devastating'
• Fears raised over HS2 village in Maple Cross
• Road to shut for nine years to pave way for HS2 construction work​

What are the phases?

• Phase One (London to Birmingham): HS2 will serve 4 brand new stations. Curzon Street and Interchange in the West Midlands and Old Oak Common and Euston in London.
• Phase 2a (West Midlands to Crewe): Phase 2a is a short section linking up Phase One to Crewe, enabling HS2 trains to travel on the existing network to stations in the North.
• Phase 2b (West Midlands to Leeds and Crewe to Manchester): Phase 2b will see a new station built in the East Midlands and trains serving revamped stations in Manchester, Leeds and beyond.

How long will it take to build the new HS2 line?

Phase One from London to Birmingham will take around a decade to complete. HS2's website say phase one will open between 2029 and 2033.

How long will HS2 be built to last?

According to the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, he has claimed HS2 is being built to last “150 years”.

The pandemic has led to many more people working from home, with demand for trains more than halved, but speaking ahead of a “shovels in the ground” event for HS2 at an undisclosed location, Mr Shapps insisted it is wrong to think the virus has made the high-speed railway unnecessary.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We’re not building this for what happens over the next couple of years or even the next 10 years.

“We’re building this – as with the west coast and east coast mainlines – for 150 years and still going strong.

“So I think the idea that – unless we work out a way of teletransporting people – that we won’t want a system to get people around the country… is wrong.”

How many jobs is HS2 set to create?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the high-speed railway will create thousands of jobs and create vital links between urban areas.

He said: “HS2 is at the heart of our plans to build back better – and with construction now formally under way, it’s set to create around 22,000 new jobs.

“As the spine of our country’s transport network, the project will be vital in boosting connectivity between our towns and cities.”

All revenue and cost risks from existing rail franchises were transferred to the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments in March to ensure services continued despite the collapse in demand caused by the coronavirus lockdown.

This has cost taxpayers at least £3.5 billion.

The Government-commissioned Oakervee Review warned last year that the final bill for HS2 could reach £106 billion at 2019 prices.

Despite it running tens of billions of pounds over budget and several years behind schedule, the PM gave the green light for the railway in February.

The project was given a revised budget and schedule as part of his decision.

What have bosses of HS2 said?

HS2 Ltd chief executive Mark Thurston said: “This is a hugely exciting moment in the progress of HS2.

"After 10 years of development and preparatory work, today we can formally announce the start of full construction, unlocking thousands of jobs and supply chain opportunities across the project.

“We are already seeing the benefits that building HS2 is bringing to the UK economy in the short term, but it’s important to emphasise how transformative the railway will be for our country when operational.

“With the start of construction, the reality of high-speed journeys joining up Britain’s biggest cities in the North and Midlands and using that connectivity to help level up the country has just moved a step closer.”