HS2 Euston - Development, design and construction news (not speculation, please)

[WWTownEnth]

the Guardian article is well worth a read. Here is the link:

Euston HS2 back on track, say ministers as final tunnelling begins

First of two 1,600-tonne boring machines drilling the 4.5 miles from Old Oak Common station switched on in London

www.theguardian.com

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Lord Hendy isn't the Chancellor, or even the Secretary of State, but it's encouraging from the Guardian article (linked above) that he expects HS2 trains to reach most of northern England in due course.
That won't mean a full HS2b project to Leeds, but it might mean a connection to the classic network at Water Orton.
But they would have to electrify on to Derby and Yorkshire.
The crucial paragraph is:

Hendy said the plans for Euston, the costs for which have escalated after designs were twice ripped up under the previous government, were nearing completion.
He indicated that the new station would now probably end up with more than the six high-speed platforms previously planned for, to allow additional future HS2 services beyond Birmingham.
Hendy said: “The spatial design is virtually agreed between all the parties … [It] will leave space for more because it’s inconceivable that we would build this railway at this level of expense without filling it full of trains to go everywhere in Britain.”
He added: “We do want to connect this railway with the rest of the railways in Britain. I would certainly envisage trains leaving Euston for most of northern England.”

 

[Snow1964]

Lord Hendy isn't the Chancellor, or even the Secretary of State, but it's encouraging from the Guardian article that he expects HS2 trains to reach most of northern England in due course.
That won't mean a full HS2b project to Leeds, but it might mean a connection to the classic network at Water Orton.
But they would have to electrify on to Derby and Yorkshire.
The crucial paragraph is:

I suspect Lord Hendy has also had conversations with Mark Wild (HS2 construction fixer) and has an off record Heads Up on the HS2 Reset.

It is known that HS2 reset report is due soon, and it is bound to say from where we are now, what is best way to maximise benefits at the most economically advantageous remaining cost. And clearly some sort of continuation beyond Hansacre past Colwich bottleneck is needed, and a section alongside M42 towards East Midlands and Yorkshire to provide alternative to overcrowded ECML is only sensible way forward. Basic economic logic, having built and sunk cost in fully building London to delta junction, and providing lots of capacity, running extra trains to ease congestion are effectively free on this section, so with all those destinations need to build (even if don't fully fit out all platforms at this stage) 11 platform Euston.

Everyone knows stopping and restarting later is going to be lot more expensive and take longer than moving the dump trucks, excavators and work crews to continue north of delta junction as they finish their work on southern section. Regardless of if the extension is pared down and not built with slab track.

 

[BRX]

The question is how much of this can be baked in to make it difficult for the next government to trash things again for ideological reasons.

 

[3RDGEN]

I suspect Lord Hendy has also had conversations with Mark Wild (HS2 construction fixer) and has an off record Heads Up on the HS2 Reset.

It is known that HS2 reset report is due soon, and it is bound to say from where we are now, what is best way to maximise benefits at the most economically advantageous remaining cost. And clearly some sort of continuation beyond Hansacre past Colwich bottleneck is needed, and a section alongside M42 towards East Midlands and Yorkshire to provide alternative to overcrowded ECML is only sensible way forward. Basic economic logic, having built and sunk cost in fully building London to delta junction, and providing lots of capacity, running extra trains to ease congestion are effectively free on this section, so with all those destinations need to build (even if don't fully fit out all platforms at this stage) 11 platform Euston.

Everyone knows stopping and restarting later is going to be lot more expensive and take longer than moving the dump trucks, excavators and work crews to continue north of delta junction as they finish their work on southern section. Regardless of if the extension is pared down and not built with slab track.

The Mark Wild HS2 Reset work is related to the current HS2 project, London - Birmingham/Handsacre, there is no HS2 beyond that to reset.

As per the HS2 Website;

"https://www.hs2.org.uk/what-is-hs2/" - "High Speed Two (HS2) cuts travel time between Britain’s two biggest cities to under an hour..." With a map showing HS2 from London - Birmingham - "Handsacre".

 

[hwl]

The question is how much of this can be baked in to make it difficult for the next government to trash things again for ideological reasons.

Don't say that too loud! I suspect that is part of the cunning plan...

 

[PLY2AYS]

Don't say that too loud! I suspect that is part of the cunning plan...

Here’s hoping. If they can bolster the scope and claw back some semblance of the project’s eastern leg, that’d be a masterful piece of legislation.

 

[MPW]

Lord Hendy isn't the Chancellor, or even the Secretary of State, but it's encouraging from the Guardian article (linked above) that he expects HS2 trains to reach most of northern England in due course.
That won't mean a full HS2b project to Leeds, but it might mean a connection to the classic network at Water Orton.
But they would have to electrify on to Derby and Yorkshire.
The crucial paragraph is:

HS2 trains serving most of northern England doesn't necessarily need an eastern branch at all. If NPR goes ahead (especially if manchester picc somehow goes underground) then HS2 western branch can serve 'most of northern England' (which can exclude sheffield or a couple others, and east mids, by definition) by continuing from Manchester eastwards to serve Leeds, York, Newcastle, Bradford (we'll see).

 

[Palmerston]

HS2 trains serving most of northern England doesn't necessarily need an eastern branch at all. If NPR goes ahead (especially if manchester picc somehow goes underground) then HS2 western branch can serve 'most of northern England' (which can exclude sheffield or a couple others, and east mids, by definition) by continuing from Manchester eastwards to serve Leeds, York, Newcastle, Bradford (we'll see).

Leeds (marginally) York and Newcastle would all be quicker on the existing ECML though. Bradford quicker via NPR.

 

[PLY2AYS]

HS2 trains serving most of northern England doesn't necessarily need an eastern branch at all. If NPR goes ahead (especially if manchester picc somehow goes underground) then HS2 western branch can serve 'most of northern England' (which can exclude sheffield or a couple others, and east mids, by definition) by continuing from Manchester eastwards to serve Leeds, York, Newcastle, Bradford (we'll see).

But it doesn’t offer much service resilience in degraded situations…

 

[MPW]

Leeds (marginally) York and Newcastle would all be quicker on the existing ECML though. Bradford quicker via NPR.

Not debating that point and I wasn't trying to imply this is a better or even equivalent alternative. Just that the wording from Lord Hendy could be very literal, that HS2 trains would somehow get to most northern cities. Which can be true without an eastern leg or time savings equivalent to an eastern leg.

 

[quantinghome]

HS2 trains serving most of northern England doesn't necessarily need an eastern branch at all. If NPR goes ahead (especially if manchester picc somehow goes underground) then HS2 western branch can serve 'most of northern England' (which can exclude sheffield or a couple others, and east mids, by definition) by continuing from Manchester eastwards to serve Leeds, York, Newcastle, Bradford (we'll see).

The so-called "reverse S" option was dismissed very early on in the development of what became HS2. NPR isn't being designed to take the capacity of London to Leeds/York/Newcastle. In particular, the section from Manchester Airport - Manchester would become massively overloaded with NPR, Manc - London, West Yorks/NE - London, and Birmingham-Manc/West Yorks/NE services.

We'll have to see what the HS2 reset says. But I note that the current fastest XC service already gets you from the outskirts of Birmingham to Sheffield in a little over 50 minutes, so even the bare minimum of feeding HS2 services into the current XC route would yield some substantial benefit.

 

[Palmerston]

I note that the current fastest XC service already gets you from the outskirts of Birmingham to Sheffield in a little over 50 minutes, so even the bare minimum of feeding HS2 services into the current XC route would yield some substantial benefit.

Add in a Crigglestone Curve and some electrification and you could get a HS2 to Bradford via Sheffield.

 

[Nottingham59]

In particular, the section from Manchester Airport - Manchester would become massively overloaded with NPR, Manc - London, West Yorks/NE - London, and Birmingham-Manc/West Yorks/NE services.

It's a twin track 230kph railway. At three minute headways, that's 16tph with a blank path every 15 minutes.

Should be fine, provided the Manchester central station can accommodate both through trains (presumably below ground level) and terminating trains.

 

[Snow1964]

HS2 has announced overnight piling works from 9th February until late March in Melton Street area. Map suggests it is near the Euston forecourt /concourse area. I think Melton Street gets swallowed up by the larger station.

Suggests work is also getting underway towards front of station, not just on approaches.

What we are doing​

From 9 February 2026, we will be carrying out overnight piling works between 10pm and 5:30am each day.

During these night time works, Melton Street will be closed to all non‑construction traffic. These activities are in addition to the daytime works already taking place within our main site.

https://assets.hs2.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/27-January-2026-Euston-Main-Site-Night-Works.pdf

 

[hwl]

HS2 has announced overnight piling works from 9th February until late March in Melton Street area. Map suggests it is near the Euston forecourt /concourse area. I think Melton Street gets swallowed up by the larger station.

Suggests work is also getting underway towards front of station, not just on approaches.

https://assets.hs2.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/27-January-2026-Euston-Main-Site-Night-Works.pdf

Behind the hoardings Melton street is still largely intact an now somewhat higher than the surrounding ground level in many places.
The utilities diversion works has been proceeding slowly and quietly for while and should be nearly complete - this would allow Melton road to be dug up (inside the hoardings) and the digging out of the big hole to begin in earnest without lots of different teams getting in each others way.
The works HS2 mention are likely to be the finals stages of utilities diversion work (i.e. cut over).
Which all happens to align very well with new paths for spoil removal discussed on the last page - there won't be any meaningful volume of spoil for quite a while unless it comes from the main station site (at least initially).
Once the new Hampstead Road Bridge is in place there will be useful haul roads under Hampstead road but these will be ~7m below the adjacent WCML track level (and 11-12m below the Road level) hence lots of digging needed on the station site to make these usable. It wouldn't surprise me in medium term if we see a conveyor installed to aid spoil movement from the northern end of the approaches to the siding area.

Everything is beginning to align nicely (and just as expected).

 

[wanderingriver]

I forget where but I heard Euston Square station was supposed to link to Euston or be absorbed by Euston with HS2. Is that true? I know Euston if definitely supposed to be linked to St Pancras for sure though.

 

[SynthD]

The question is how much of this can be baked in to make it difficult for the next government to trash things again for ideological reasons.

None, Parliament can't bind future Parliament. As the previous governments showed, ripping up contracts or changing plans late on can be excused.

I forget where but I heard Euston Square station was supposed to link to Euston or be absorbed by Euston with HS2. Is that true? I know Euston if definitely supposed to be linked to St Pancras for sure though.

The first part is speculative and unfunded. The second part is new to me, and sounds unlikely.

 

[hwl]

The first part is speculative and unfunded.

Yep, Rishi said TfL would have to fund it if it was going to happen - it isn't cheap but much cheaper and easier then CR2! I suspect TfL will try to bundle it into the greater Euston redevelopment, hence why it has been quiet.

 

[JamesT]

I forget where but I heard Euston Square station was supposed to link to Euston or be absorbed by Euston with HS2. Is that true? I know Euston if definitely supposed to be linked to St Pancras for sure though.

Previously announced designs for HS2 at Euston included providing a direct entrance from Euston Square. A Euston St Pancras link was suggested as part of a potential Crossrail 2 station.
However the station plans have been ripped up several times, and Crossrail 2 is only a pipedream. So we'll have to wait to see what the new actual plans look like.

 

[InTheEastMids]

I forget where but I heard Euston Square station was supposed to link to Euston or be absorbed by Euston with HS2. Is that true? I know Euston if definitely supposed to be linked to St Pancras for sure though.

Yes, if you go back to this document (from 2022), HS2 were promising to connect Euston & Euston Square Underground with a new ticket hall - see page 7 of the linked PDF document

https://assets.hs2.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/HS2-Euston-Brochure-27.05.22-lower-res.pdf

However the station plans have been ripped up several times, and Crossrail 2 is only a pipedream

Yes, part of the mess of Euston is that it's effectively 4, maybe 5 different projects (HS2, Mainline, Commercial/Oversite development, undeground and wider area redevelopment).

The older approach - in the HS2 doc I've linked shows the mainline rail station as a white space - somebody else's problem. But we've now got the Euston Partnership to steer the different elements and Euston Delivery Company (a DfT-owned company) that looks like it will be the Client for the HS2, mainline and TfL-related upgrades.

 

[wanderingriver]

Yes, if you go back to this document (from 2022), HS2 were promising to connect Euston & Euston Square Underground with a new ticket hall - see page 7 of the linked PDF document

https://assets.hs2.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/HS2-Euston-Brochure-27.05.22-lower-res.pdf

Well if Euston Square and Euston become connected, may make sense to make them the “same” Underground station. Not like you can merge the names like they have with “Kings Cross St Pancras”. We will have to wait and see though

 

[Amos390]

If HS2 were to continue on existing track to the north, what kind of work would need to take place along these routes to allow for the new HS2 trains (Which on that topic, do we have any ideas as to what class number they may be, just out of interest). I'm presuming that HS2 is going to take on the ETCS signalling type, so installation of that over existing track would need to occur, but then how would that link up to the current block signalling in use? Also, would most the track need to be relaid to allow for higher speed running and if so, would existing stock along them routes need to be revised to be faster so not to impede the HS2 stock, or will that just be restricted to existing line speeds and rolling stock speeds. (Sorry if some of these questions have been answered further back, just got here and haven't yet read back much)

 

[wanderingriver]

do we have any ideas as to what class number they may be, just out of interest

The train class will be Hitachi and Alstom built Class 895. According to Wikipedia,

The contract was awarded to Hitachi–Alstom High-Speed (HAH-S), a 50/50 joint venture between Hitachi Rail and Alstom, for 54 trains, which will be constructed in the United Kingdom. The trains will be based on an evolution of the Zefiro V300 platform and able to run at the top operational speed of 360 km/h (225 mph) on the HS2 line.The 200 m-long (656 ft) electric multiple units (EMUs) will have the option to couple two units together to create a 400 m (1,312 ft) train.

Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_895

 

[Russel]

Yep, Rishi said TfL would have to fund it if it was going to happen - it isn't cheap but much cheaper and easier then CR2! I suspect TfL will try to bundle it into the greater Euston redevelopment, hence why it has been quiet.

Pretty laughable when you think weather it's NR, HS2 or TFL paying, it's all taxpayer money, just from different pots!

 

[Krokodil]

If HS2 were to continue on existing track to the north, what kind of work would need to take place along these routes to allow for the new HS2 trains

Platform extensions will be the most important thing

 

[hwl]

Pretty laughable when you think weather it's NR, HS2 or TFL paying, it's all taxpayer money, just from different pots!

Don't forget private developer contributions (as TfL did with Crossrail) which is where a lot of Euston funding is heading, it just needs to be suitably de-risked to give confidence it will happen (similar situation with Lower Thames Crossing and Sizewell C).

 

[Tezza1978]

None, Parliament can't bind future Parliament. As the previous governments showed, ripping up contracts or changing plans late on can be excused.

This is true from a legislative perspective.

However signed and agreed contracts with penalty clauses hinder the economic sense and public optics of tearing things up. Even Sunak didnt cancel Euston as huge amounts of works had already been done.

Farage and Tice have promised to completely trash HS2 and leave it as an unfinished wreck in the very unlikely scenario where they gain power. The practicalities, huge contractual costs, huge amount of completed work that will be done by July 2029 and the legal actions that would be taken/public outrage at wasting that much money to achieve zero mean that this statement by them is complete horse manure. HS2 being completed to Euston at least is nailed on IMO as the station is crumbling and needs huge works regardless of HS2 and the tunnels to it will be fully finished too by the next election.

 

[Bald Rick]

If HS2 were to continue on existing track to the north, what kind of work would need to take place along these routes to allow for the new HS2 trains (Which on that topic, do we have any ideas as to what class number they may be, just out of interest). I'm presuming that HS2 is going to take on the ETCS signalling type, so installation of that over existing track would need to occur, but then how would that link up to the current block signalling in use? Also, would most the track need to be relaid to allow for higher speed running and if so, would existing stock along them routes need to be revised to be faster so not to impede the HS2 stock, or will that just be restricted to existing line speeds and rolling stock speeds. (Sorry if some of these questions have been answered further back, just got here and haven't yet read back much)

The short version is that HS2 trains will operate on existing lines with existing track and signalling. There will be few if any upgrades for higher speeds on the existing lines, HS2 trains will follow existing speed limits (non tilt).

The work needed will be anything for gauge clearance, platform extensions, and possibly power supply upgrades.

 

[quantinghome]

It's a twin track 230kph railway. At three minute headways, that's 16tph with a blank path every 15 minutes.

Should be fine, provided the Manchester central station can accommodate both through trains (presumably below ground level) and terminating trains.

The HS2 service pattern had 5 tph to Manchester (including from Birmingham). The HS2 eastern leg service was 9 tph (again, including from Birmingham), serving Leeds, York and Newcastle. Then add the 6 tph NPR on top of that. Now perhaps you could argue for some rationalisation but I'm not convinced you can do that too much without limiting capacity. You've still looking at a section of railway which has to take every fast train from London, Birmingham and Liverpool to Manchester, Leeds, York and Newcastle.