UK High Speed Proposals

[Solario]

Quite interesting feature from the BBC -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/p ... 361131.stm

[third-rail]

Quite interesting feature from the BBC -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/p ... 361131.stm

we should build them like the french do ,build em first then argue about the compensation later.and build them to wide enough to take four tracks as the french have found out ,and are having to alter their early routes at great cost to take frieght also.

[manna]

G'Day Gents
Birmingham New Street---ALL CHANGE!!!!!!!!!!
manna

[stembok]

Interesting to view the proposed map in the link given by third-rail. I am wondering whether they will seriously consider two separate high speed routes crossing the Border? It would be nice to think so,but......! There was a news item on BBC Look North last week on the increases in the number of passengers using the WCML to Scotland and bearing in mind the proposed changes to the ECML services to Glasgow it will be interesting in the light of past history and proposals to see how this evolves. Passenger groups in north Northumberland are already becoming anxious about proposed changes to some of their services.

[Solario]

Passenger groups in north Northumberland are already becoming anxious about proposed changes to some of their services.

It seems somewhat ironic that on the one hand the northern leg of the ECML is possibly under threat and on the other, there is the prospect of a " new" line to Galashiels/Tweedbank not too far away.

I tend to agree with third-rail, we do spend an inordinate amount of time planning such development; look how long it took to open HS1. It must have been detrimental to the general well being of the country for it to have taken so long. I still think that we have to have open discussions and a way of raising objections but we need to speed up the process. The Victorians could show us a thing or two, some of the early lines were built very quickly without the benefit of any machinery. I suppose that it was easier to deal with relatively few land owners who were mainly interested in how much they could wheedle out of the railway company.

[52A]

The original plan showed west coast only, suddenly we have a split with both sides covered. A general election is due, coincidence? I think not, and what will happen after the general election?

[Ferrybridge Flyer]

The scottish capital is Edinburgh,the scottish parliament is in Edinburgh-of course HS2 will go to Glasgow!!Foreigners laugh at us as "The nation of paperwork" a joke,sadly,that is all too true.

[stembok]

I think that the objections of the likes of Leeds, York, Newcastle, Sheffield and to some extent perhaps the East Midlands cities to one route up the west coast might have to be taken into account, both economically and politically, but north of Newcastle might be a different matter. Not necessarily, talking of closure here, but certainly second fiddle.
Much also depends on a decision about the inclusion of Heathrow in any HS2 scheme or indeed any possible development of a new international airport on another site. The Report on HS2 is evidently to be delivered shortly, but kept under wraps until next year, no doubt for the politicians to think about how they are going to 'play' this one.
Regarding planning consents, any large infrastructure works in the UK have faced these problems for years . Apart from railway planning, as a new generation of power stations looms this is, without some kind of modified planning procedures, going to be a huge problem, given the strong opposition from various parties.

[redtoon1892]

Did the Thatcher Govt at one time look at terminating the ECML at Newcastle or maybe terminating services at Edinburgh and closing the Forth Bridge ?.
I seem to remember something along those lines.
I did in an earlier forum give some details of a plan that was seriously being considered in the very early 90s regarding the E.C.M.L. I know this as I had a look at the consultation plans when I was a local govt officer concerned with transportation.
The E.C.M.L. would have been diverted to Pelaw Junction by means of the Leamside or a new route. A major intersection with the Tyne & Wear metro at Pelaw would have picked up passengers destined for Newcastle and the E.C.M.L. would have crossed the Tyne via a new bridge and linked up again with the line at Walker near the former Wills factory and carried on to Scotland. The crux of the plan was to avoid the bottle neck of the Tyne railway bridges via the Bensham diversion ( I believe the High Level bridge now has a weight restriction on and its tracks reduced) It never came to anything and the former heavy coal traffic from the Northumberland coal field has now virtually disappeared easing the congestion. The plans may even still exist at the Tyne & Wear P.T.E. I suppose it will remain "on the books" so you never know.

[52D]

Yes i covered a similar subject going back i think as far as NER days viz the Newcastle avoiding line on a similar route to what you outlined.
It would make sense to proceed with a high speed line up the derelict Leamside line then carry on over the Tyne on a new bridge. Im sure there would be a demand for tickets on a non stop Capitals Limited train from Kings X to Waverley.
Local freight for Tyneside and stoppers could still take the original ECML as there would be paths released. Closed stations on the ECML could be looked at to see if it would be feasible to reopen them with a Durham Newcastle local service. Other freight and selected passenger services could take the new high speed route with a possible new Washington station.