Fastest Trains in the UK

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High-speed rail in the United Kingdom is provided on four upgraded railway lines running at top speeds of 125 mph (200 km/h) and one purpose-built high-speed line reaching 186 mph (300 km/h).

Since 2019 construction has been ongoing on a major new purpose-built high-speed rail line, High Speed 2 (HS2) which will link London with major cities in the North and the Midlands at 224 mph (360 km/h) and reduce journey times to Scotland. Phase 1 of the project to Birmingham is due to open in 2026, with the line set to go as far as Manchester and Leeds by 2033.

Government-backed plans to provide east-west high-speed services between cities in the North of England are also in their early stages of development, as part of the Northern Powerhouse Rail project.

Trains currently travel at 125 mph (200 km/h) on the East Coast Main Line, Great Western main line, Midland Main Line, parts of the Cross Country Route, and the West Coast Main Line. On the latter line, only tilting trains can reach this maximum speed due to the difficult track geometry.

The 67-mile long HS1 line connects London to the Channel Tunnel, with international Eurostar services running from London St Pancras station to cities in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands at 186 mph (300 km/h). That line is also used by high-speed commuter services from Kent to the capital, operating at top speeds of 140 mph (225 km/h).

There has been no single national rail operator in the UK since British Rail was privatised in the 1990s. High-speed services are provided by CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Eurostar, Grand Central, Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, London North Eastern Railway, Southeastern, Avanti West Coast, Abellio ScotRail, and TransPennine Express.