How to Build a Railway is a twelve-part podcast series exploring the story behind the construction of the UK’s new high speed rail line.

As the largest single environmental project in the UK, protecting and enhancing the environment has always been an integral part of the HS2 programme. Since 2009, every metre of the design has been carefully considered in navigating sites of natural significance.

Episode four, ‘Creating the Green Corridor’, explores our endeavours to protect, replace and improve the green spaces that will run alongside the railway – creating the equivalent of 23 new Hyde Parks lining the spine of the country.

We have already started planting new woodlands and creating new wetlands, grasslands and meadows which are already thriving homes for wildlife.

Featuring Kathleen Covill, Natural England’s Principal Advisor, Simon Mackrell, director at Thomson Environmental Consultants and HS2’s David Prys-Jones and Kat Stanhope, we learn about the opportunities to minimise the environmental impact throughout the construction and operation of HS2 and how we’re creating new ecological sites for protected species.