HS2: Construction on super fast railway line officially begins

Image source, Siemens via Press Association

Image caption, This is what designers think the new trains will look like

Construction on super-fast railway line HS2 has officially begun. But you won't be able to take a trip on it anytime soon as it will take at least eight years to complete the first stage, and 20 years to fully build!

It's being built in two stages, with the first part between London and Birmingham aiming to be finished between 2028 and 2031.

The second part of the line between the Midlands and Manchester and Leeds, is due to be completed by 2040 at the latest.

But as there have been delays, an official government report has warned it could be up to five years behind schedule.

Its hoped that it will reduce passenger overcrowding and help rebalance the UK's economy by helping to improve transport links outside London.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave HS2 his support back in February, with formal government approval granted in April.

Video caption, Nel finds out why not everyone is a fan of the HS2 plans

Work preparing for the new line - demolishing buildings and clearing sites, for example - has already been going on for the past three years.

The project has been quite controversial with many people arguing about whether it should still go ahead.

One of the reasons people aren't happy is the cost of building the rail link.

Image source, HS2 handout

Image caption, Illustrations of the proposed HS2 Leeds Station

An expensive trainline

When the idea was first proposed they thought it would cost an estimated 拢37.5bn, but the official price tag in the 2015 Budget came to just under 拢56bn, and another official government report has since warned that it could cost more than 拢100bn.

Other critics of HS2 have called it a "vanity project" and say the money would be better spent on better connections between different parts of northern England.

Image source, Dan Kitwood

Image caption, One of the biggest arguments against HS2 is around how it might impact on the country's green spaces and countryside

Others, such as the Stop HS2 pressure group, say it will cause considerable environmental damage.

The prime minister said HS2 was at the heart of government plans to "build back better" and would form "the spine of our country's transport network".

"But HS2's transformational potential goes even further," he added. "By creating hundreds of apprenticeships and thousands of skilled jobs, HS2 will fire up economic growth and help to rebalance opportunity across this country for years to come."