High Speed 2 (HS2) is a planned high-speed rail line in the UK, with the first phase under construction for an opening window of 2029-2033 and the second is estimated to open between 2032 and 2033.When finished, the new track will extend from the southernmost point in London to the northernmost point in Manchester, with branches reaching Birmingham and the East Midlands.
The construction costs for HS2 were estimated in 2010 to be between £30.9 billion and £36 billion. In 2015 this estimate was combined with the cost of rolling stock and adjusted for inflation to give a budget of £56.6 billion.
HS2 has been generating controversy and protests due to its environmental impact, numerous contingencies and rising costs. Several environmentalists and conservationists have been strongly against the project since its inception, due to the deforestation required to complete the railway line.
HS2 Ltd has a plan to replace lost trees. The company says it will plant up to seven million trees and shrubs "to provide compensation and mitigation measures".
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