--- title: "HS2: Engineering the future of high-speed rail in the UK" url: "https://www.systra.com/uk/project/hs2-high-speed-line/" type: projects date_published: 2020-09-15 date_modified: 2026-03-11 schema: @type: WebPage language: en-GB word_count: 941 reading_time: 5 min canonical: "https://www.systra.com/uk/project/hs2-high-speed-line/" featured_image: "https://www.systra.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2020/09/hs2-train-in-landscape1.jpg" type-market: - Environment - High speed - Sustainable Transport project-market: - High Speed Rail project-location: - East Midlands - England --- # HS2: Engineering the future of high-speed rail in the UK ![HS2: Engineering the future of high-speed rail in the UK](https://www.systra.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2020/09/hs2-train-in-landscape1.jpg) ### Continuing a legacy of UK high-speed rail **After working on HS1, the first high speed line in the United Kingdom, SYSTRA is a key player in the HS2 (High Speed 2) project, as part of two joint ventures, showcasing its digital design solutions, providing robust and efficient services to drive maximum value.** The HS2 project launched by the UK government will create a new [high speed railway](https://www.systra.com/uk/type-market/high-speed/), providing zero-carbon journeys between the UK’s two largest cities, Birmingham and London, with services continuing on to Manchester, the North West and Scotland using the conventional railway network, cutting journey times. Set to transport millions of passengers, this network will reinforce railway capacity in the UK while creating significant economic benefits for regions and populations. It is one of Europe’s largest infrastructure programmes. In 2017, SYSTRA was selected by the Balfour Beatty-VINCI joint venture (JV) for the civil engineering design of lots N1 and N2, in a 50:50 design joint venture (DJV) with Mott MacDonald (MSD). With a total length of 90km, these two lots are the biggest, most complex, and most northern of phase 1 of the project, including the spur into the centre of Birmingham and linking the new line to the existing West Coast Main Line network in Staffordshire. ### The old oak common Hub In 2019, as part of a Tier 1 JV with Balfour Beatty and VINCI (BBVS), SYSTRA won the contract as Construction Delivery Partner for the new station of Old Oak Common, the largest railway station to be built in London for a century. This future hub will be the best connected in the country, directly serving three airports and eight of the 10 biggest cities in Britain. The station will have rapid and efficient connections with HS2 (six underground platforms), the new Crossrail services, the existing Great Western Main Line intercity networks (eight ground-level networks) and the North London Line, as well as the metro’s Central Line. Situated in a fast developing neighbourhood, Old Oak Common will contribute to the creation of up to 65,000 jobs and 5,500 homes. ### OUR EXPERTISE IN LARGE INFRASTRUCTURE HS2 trains will travel between London and Birmingham on 140 mi (225 km) of dedicated track. They will pass through 32 mi (51 km) of tunnels and over nine mi (14 km) of [ viaducts](https://www.systra.com/uk/services/infrastructure-engineering/bridge-and-viaduct-engineering-design/) . Once operational, HS2 will serve over 25 stations connecting around 30 million people. Water Orton No.1&2 Viaducts are two long continuous single-track concrete box girder viaducts which carry High Speed 2 lines over significant major transport links (motorways, railway lines) and also the River Tame and its floodplain. The viaducts have a precast concrete posted tensioned segmental deck supported on in-situ concrete piers and abutments which have piled foundations.    Birmingham & Fazeley Canal Viaduct is a five spans composite structure composed of three deck sections of total length 235 m (770 ft). The superstructure comprises a composite deck formed from a welded steel dual I-girder and precast/cast-in-situ reinforced concrete deck slab units.   For each of these assignments, SYSTRA has brought its areas of expertise in [engineering, modelling and BIM](https://www.systra.com/uk/services/technical-systems/digital-engineering/) . To optimise the design process, our teams have deployed dynamic and parametric 3D modelling tools and put in place the use of a space for electronic data management, in order to ensure the conformity of technical production and the collaboration of numerous actors mobilised on this programme. Our commitment was honoured by the software development company Bentley Systems during the Year in Infrastructure 2019 Awards, where the MSD teams won the **Special Recognition Award for Advancing Digital Workflows through Digital Twins** . We’d love to help with your next project [Connect with our Specialists](https://www.systra.com/uk/contact/business/) ![High speed Eurostar train traveling through countryside](https://www.systra.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/05/high-speed-rail_header_v3-1024x645.jpg) _markets High Speed Rail Read more sur High Speed Rail_ ![](https://www.systra.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/05/l3-service-headers_infrastructure-engineering-1-1024x645.jpg) _services Infrastructure Engineering Read more sur Infrastructure Engineering_ ![dubai-metro-modern-methods-of-construction-systra](https://www.systra.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/11/dubai-metro-modern-methods-of-construction-systra-1024x646.jpg) _services Modern Methods of Construction Read more sur Modern Methods of Construction_ ![strategic-traffic-modelling-website-header](https://www.systra.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/06/strategic-traffic-modelling-website-header-1024x645.jpg) _About Us Read more sur About Us_ ![start-a-career-at-systra-header](https://www.systra.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2023/06/start-a-career-at-systra-header-1024x645.jpg) _Careers at SYSTRA Read more sur Careers at SYSTRA_ [JOIN OUR COMMUNITY](https://www.systra.com/uk/register/join-our-community/) Some examples of projects in High Speed Rail [ HS2 Marston Box Bridge Slide ](https://www.systra.com/uk/project/hs2-marston-box-bridge-slide/) [ Southern Europe Atlantic High Speed Line ](https://www.systra.com/uk/project/southern-europe-atlantic-high-speed-line/) [ HS1: Pioneering Britain’s first high-speed rail line ](https://www.systra.com/uk/project/hs1-london-to-the-channel-tunnel/) [ California’s High-Speed Rail: A Long-term Engineering Partnership ](https://www.systra.com/uk/project/california-high-speed-rail-united-states/) [ Tangiers-Casablanca High Speed line – Morocco ](https://www.systra.com/uk/project/tangiers-casablanca-high-speed-line-morocco/) [ Tunnel Euralpin Lyon-Turin – France / Italy ](https://www.systra.com/uk/project/tunnel-euralpin-lyon-turin-france-italy/) [ See a selection of SYSTRA's projects ](https://www.systra.com/uk/project/tunnel-euralpin-lyon-turin-france-italy/)