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

[Nottingham59]

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.

They wouldn't send London-York or London-Newcastle traffic via Manchester.

If it were 360kph all the way, the maybe. (I'd need to work out the timings.) But the four-track transpennie route via Huddersfield won't be fast enough.

 

[quantinghome]

They wouldn't send London-York or London-Newcastle traffic via Manchester.

If it were 360kph all the way, the maybe. (I'd need to work out the timings.) But the four-track transpennie route via Huddersfield won't be fast enough.

I know they wouldn't, but that was the suggestion I was replying to:

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).

 

[Trainman40083]

I've lost track of what the actual goal is, at Euston station. Once there was talk of an 11 platform HS2 station. Then I thought there was talk of rebuilding the whole station.

 

[Snow1964]

I've lost track of what the actual goal is, at Euston station. Once there was talk of an 11 platform HS2 station. Then I thought there was talk of rebuilding the whole station.

Will sit alongside the 1960s station, although that is losing a bit. Been so many iterations lost the plot, but it is 2 or 3 platforms and/or former parcel/newspaper that get swallowed up.

About 5 new HS2 platforms are the other side of Melton Street (which is being removed). Of course expansion of Euston decades ago swallowed up some other roads in the past

 

[JamesT]

I've lost track of what the actual goal is, at Euston station. Once there was talk of an 11 platform HS2 station. Then I thought there was talk of rebuilding the whole station.

London Euston station

DfT is exploring a Public Private Partnership to build the new HS2 station with private finance, whilst HS2 Ltd completes enabling works.

www.hs2.org.uk

The Department for Transport is working with key partners to develop affordable, integrated plans for the Euston Station Campus, which will comprise the new HS2 station, an upgraded Network Rail station and enhancements to the London Underground station and local transport facilities along with a significant level of development. Significant progress has been made and we will set out more details in due course.

So, some number of new HS2 platforms, alongside something being done to the existing station.

 

[Trainman40083]

Will sit alongside the 1960s station, although that is losing a bit. Been so many iterations lost the plot, but it is 2 or 3 platforms and/or former parcel/newspaper that get swallowed up.

About 5 new HS2 platforms are the other side of Melton Street (which is being removed). Of course expansion of Euston decades ago swallowed up some other roads in the past

I shall have to look up Melton Street. Last time I looked towards the parcels platforms, there was a Class 25 there .

 

[Russel]

I've lost track of what the actual goal is, at Euston station. Once there was talk of an 11 platform HS2 station. Then I thought there was talk of rebuilding the whole station.

Same here, how many different versions of the plan for Euston are we at now?

 

[Trainman40083]

Same here, how many different versions of the plan for Euston are we at now?

You can see the problem for HS2. How do we plan, if we still don't know what we are being asked to build?

 

[InTheEastMids]

I've lost track of what the actual goal is, at Euston statio

You wouldn't be alone. One of the inquiries into HS2 went with the headline:

HS2 Euston: Government does not know what it is trying to achieve with the station​

https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/news/196287/hs2-euston-government-does-not-know-what-it-is-trying-to-achieve-with-the-station/

So, some number of new HS2 platforms,

The smoke signals coming from Hendy about "space for more platforms" make me speculate 6 initially, but with provision for 10/11

You can see the problem for HS2. How do we plan, if we still don't know what we are being asked to build?

HS2 Ltd have been stripped of the responsibility to build Euston. The new Euston Delivery Company has been set up and will be the Client for HS2, mainline, TfL, and oversite development. But of course you're right in that we are 9 years since the legal authority was obtained to build the Ph1, and there is still no committed design for what that will look like South of Hampstead Road overbridge

 

[Trainman40083]

You wouldn't be alone. One of the inquiries into HS2 went with the headline:

https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/127/public-accounts-committee/news/196287/hs2-euston-government-does-not-know-what-it-is-trying-to-achieve-with-the-station/

The smoke signals coming from Hendy about "space for more platforms" make me speculate 6 initially, but with provision for 10/11


HS2 Ltd have been stripped of the responsibility to build Euston. The new Euston Delivery Company has been set up and will be the Client for HS2, mainline, TfL, and oversite development. But of course you're right in that we are 9 years since the legal authority was obtained to build the Ph1, and there is still no committed design for what that will look like South of Hampstead Road overbridge

Almost made me wonder if you were to build all 11 platforms...then use some initially to move services out of the "BR" Euston to enable a rebuild there. You can see why HS2 is costing so much.. What they wanted it to look like, should have been cast in stone before they started it. Bit, oh no. Toss a coin and change our minds.

 

[JamesT]

Almost made me wonder if you were to build all 11 platforms...then use some initially to move services out of the "BR" Euston to enable a rebuild there. You can see why HS2 is costing so much.. What they wanted it to look like, should have been cast in stone before they started it. Bit, oh no. Toss a coin and change our minds.

Even if you don’t build 11 platforms, you’re still moving all the long distance services over to HS2 so they won’t be using their former platforms on the classic side.
But the problem with trying to put legacy services into the HS2 side is there’s no way for them to get there. The HS2 tracks will be at a lower level than the classic side so you can’t join them up within the station. The first place there’s a connection from HS2 is at Calvert, but that’s just for maintenance.

 

[Russel]

You can see the problem for HS2. How do we plan, if we still don't know what we are being asked to build?

Oh I agree, it's shambolic, as has been almost everything HS2 related, simply because of constant Government interference, flip-flopping and micro-management...

I do support HS2, but I can see why the project gets so many peoples backs up.

 

[Trainman40083]

Oh I agree, it's shambolic, as has been almost everything HS2 related, simply because of constant Government interference, flip-flopping and micro-management...

I do support HS2, but I can see why the project gets so many peoples backs up.

Every time there is news about HS2, they seem to be involved with things, that are not directly involved with the actual railway. I'm surprised there hasn't been action to explain why HS2 is needed, why it started where it did and the wider benefits to railway capacity. If it is true that passenger numbers will double by 2050 on the WCML we need it built sooner. Today, would have been a great day for a completed HS2, with the fire on the conventional line

 

[Russel]

Every time there is news about HS2, they seem to be involved with things, that are not directly involved with the actual railway. I'm surprised there hasn't been action to explain why HS2 is needed, why it started where it did and the wider benefits to railway capacity. If it is true that passenger numbers will double by 2050 on the WCML we need it built sooner. Today, would have been a great day for a completed HS2, with the fire on the conventional line

Indeed, the PR around HS2 has been awful from the start, most ordinary people still think HS2 is being built simply to get to Birmingham 20 minutes faster, we really need a publicity blitz explaining the limitations of the current WCML, capacity constraints etc.

Big infrastructure projects stimulate the economy and create jobs, people should be in favour of this, but as I said, I can see why they are not.

 

[Trainman40083]

Indeed, the PR around HS2 has been awful from the start, most ordinary people still think HS2 is being built simply to get to Birmingham 20 minutes faster, we really need a publicity blitz explaining the limitations of the current WCML, capacity constraints etc.

Big infrastructure projects stimulate the economy and create jobs, people should be in favour of this, but as I said, I can see why they are not.

Hopefully the final Euston will be a statement of intent. It needs to be.

 

[ScottGallagher]

Indeed, the PR around HS2 has been awful from the start, most ordinary people still think HS2 is being built simply to get to Birmingham 20 minutes faster, we really need a publicity blitz explaining the limitations of the current WCML, capacity constraints etc.

Big infrastructure projects stimulate the economy and create jobs, people should be in favour of this, but as I said, I can see why they are not.

It has been awful, and as a user of WCML and Euston i know its been creaking for decades, however in its current form the ordinary people are more right than wrong, its not going north of Birmingham any time soon so is really a high speed London to Birmingham shuttle that only managed to be restored to Euston by sheer luck and politics.

 

[MidlandMainlie]

Indeed, the PR around HS2 has been awful from the start, most ordinary people still think HS2 is being built simply to get to Birmingham 20 minutes faster, we really need a publicity blitz explaining the limitations of the current WCML, capacity constraints etc.

Big infrastructure projects stimulate the economy and create jobs, people should be in favour of this, but as I said, I can see why they are not.

The mistake was calling it HS2 in the first place and not something like the West Coast Relief Line, the latter doesn’t sound as good for marketing purposes but does more to explain to the public the need for the project to provide extra capacity. Same with renaming the Channel Tunnel Rail link to HS1.

A lesson that seems to be partly learned with not calling Northern Powerhouse Rail HS3.

 

[PLY2AYS]

The mistake was calling it HS2 in the first place and not something like the West Coast Relief Line, the latter doesn’t sound as good for marketing purposes but does more to explain to the public the need for the project to provide extra capacity. Same with renaming the Channel Tunnel Rail link to HS1.

A lesson that seems to be partly learned with not calling Northern Powerhouse Rail HS3.

They wanted continuity with HS1, which, for the sake of budget should’ve been kept to a similar spec.

Branding HS2 High Capacity 1, might’ve made some difference, but presumably a focus group must’ve thought you can sell speed as convenience…

 

[Russel]

It has been awful, and as a user of WCML and Euston i know its been creaking for decades, however in its current form the ordinary people are more right than wrong, its not going north of Birmingham any time soon so is really a high speed London to Birmingham shuttle that only managed to be restored to Euston by sheer luck and politics.

The fact that there has been years of debate over weather it'll actually reach Euston, a station that needs a full rebuild weather HS2 reaches it or not, is quite frankly, madness!

 

[Trainman40083]

The fact that there has been years of debate over weather it'll actually reach Euston, a station that needs a full rebuild weather HS2 reaches it or not, is quite frankly, madness!

More a no brainer. It needs doing. How are we going to do it, in a timely manner?

 

[ScottGallagher]

More a no brainer. It needs doing. How are we going to do it, in a timely manner?

The fact that there has been years of debate over weather it'll actually reach Euston, a station that needs a full rebuild weather HS2 reaches it or not, is quite frankly, madness!

Euston in its current form is maxed out now, no more realistic removing shop units however welcome.

 

[Trainman40083]

Euston in its current form is maxed out now, no more realistic removing shop units however welcome.

Did that massive illuminated advert hoarding stay , maybe showing something useful, like train departures?

 

[ScottGallagher]

Did that massive illuminated advert hoarding stay , maybe showing something useful, like train departures?

It did and does and actually looks great and now in RA2

 

[Pete_uk]

Are there any plans to build up over Euston as a way of off setting the cost of the development?

 

[Bald Rick]

its not going north of Birmingham any time soon so is really a high speed London to Birmingham shuttle that only managed to be restored to Euston by sheer luck and politics.

This is simply not correct. HS2 services will be going north of Birmingham a couple of years after they start running to Birmingham, as was always the plan.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jan 2026 ==

Are there any plans to build up over Euston as a way of off setting the cost of the development?

Yes, subject to the sightlines from Primrose Hill, Parliament Hill, Greenwich Park and Blackheath Point.

 

[Russel]

Euston in its current form is maxed out now, no more realistic removing shop units however welcome.

Yep, hence why I said it'll need rebuilding with or without HS2.

 

[ScottGallagher]

This is simply not correct. HS2 services will be going north of Birmingham a couple of years after they start running to Birmingham, as was always the plan.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jan 2026 ==



Yes, subject to the sightlines from Primrose Hill, Parliament Hill, Greenwich Park and Blackheath Point.

HS2 services will do but the true high speed bit is London to Birmingham only and likely to remain so.

 

[PLY2AYS]

that only managed to be restored to Euston by sheer luck and politics.

Just curious as to what luck you think was involved.
And what decisions are made on HS2 which aren’t political?

 

[Nottingham59]

HS2 services will do but the true high speed bit is London to Birmingham only and likely to remain so.

The "true" high speed bit of Phase 1 is Old Oak Common to Fradley Junction, where the design speed of the alignment is between 320kph and 400kph.

The S-W curve of the delta is just 200kph, with the spur to Birmingham rated at 230kph.

It seems highly likely that the section from Delta Junction to Fradley will be built and will carry around 6-8tph, more than will go from London to Curzon St.

 

[Bald Rick]

HS2 services will do but the true high speed bit is London to Birmingham only and likely to remain so.

HS2 will finish (for now) at Handsacre, which is 17.5 miles north of, and very definitely not, Birmingham.