LEADING designers are coming together today to create a set of design principles for HS2. The aim, said HS2 Ltd, is to make it 'the gold-standard high speed railway'.
Three of the designers have been named as Thomas Heatherwick, creator of the new London bus, transport designer Paul Priestman and London Eye lead structural engineer Jane Wernick.
They will be accompanied by many other people from the British design industry as well as transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin and HS2 chairman David Higgins.
The transport secretary is to due to say: “We mean it when we say we want HS2 to make the country proud. Great design is about utility, usability and delight. Great design creates things that are both useful and loved by those that use them. It creates landmarks. We need HS2 to be as good as it possibly can be.
“Britain has some of the most talented, creative and intelligent designers and engineers working today. With HS2 there’s an opportunity to show the world what Great British design can do that will last for generations to come.”
David Higgins said: “Britain has brilliant railway design heritage. HS2 is a fantastic opportunity to take that tradition into the future, that’s why I wholeheartedly support the aim of getting HS2’s design right from the beginning.
“We recognise that High Speed Two will affect those who use it and those who don’t, so we must seize that fact as an opportunity. How should stations reflect and enhance their surroundings? How should trains be designed to increase their efficiency and reduce their noise? In short how can it be the benchmark to which others refer, and how can we exploit this to the benefit of Britain’s design and engineering industries?
“This Design Vision event marks HS2’s progress from concept towards construction. HS2 is a significant investment for the entire country; we have to get it right.”
The Design Vision report which will be the product of today's event will be published later in the year.