Table of Content



1. OVERVIEW
1.1. Catalyst
1.2. Summary

2. AS HS2 OFFICIALLY BEGINS WORK, THE STAKES FOR ITS SUCCESS ARE HIGHER THAN EVER
2.1. COVID-19 puts HS2’s economic and employmentpromises in a new light
2.1.1. HS2 could be an urgent defense against rising unemployment
2.1.2. Job creation must be balanced with potential losses
2.1.3. Comparisons with Industry 4.0 highlight the complexity of job transition
2.2. The stagnant construction sector will receive a boost
2.3. HS2 will make up for losses in the construction pipeline
2.3.1. Opportunity costs to other infrastructure projects are climbing higher

3. INVESTMENT IN ONWARD TRAVEL IS AS IMPORTANT AS HS2 ITSELF
3.1. Journey times could be faster still with improved local transport
3.2. Strong onward transport will ensure benefits beyond HS2 hubs
3.3. Carbon emissions targets can only be met with wider investment

4. APPENDIX
4.1. Abbreviations and acronyms
4.2. Further reading

5. ASK THE ANALYST

6. ABOUT MARKETLINE



List of Figures


Figure 1: Economically inactive people in the UK, January to March 2020 and April to June 2020.
Figure 2: Jobs officially promised so far, and the timescale over which these are expected to be filled.
Figure 3: Delays or cancellations to infrastructure and residential construction projects, March 2020 to 5th September 2020 (project value, $m).
Figure 4: Expected time from London to various destinationswith and without HS2.
Figure 5: Share of CO2 emission sources in the UK.


List of Tables