We do, and growth is concentrated on existing corridors....
Business can be vociferous opponents as well. But don't underestimate just how far people will now go out of their way to protect countryside.
Diversionary capability = 'we won't use it normally'. Not a great way to begin a pitch to the DfT for tens of millions of precious, precious pounds. Also, Golden Valley fulfills the passenger diversions quite fine. It'll have a terrible business case normally because there'll only be low single digit numbers of paths using it and of those only a low percentage actually run. It would introduce 2 new junctions to busy high-speed main lines while having to avoid the social club in the corner.
Generally: Gloucester triangle can be tricky, King's Norton to Birmingham. Freight additional has the problem of being hunted down by the 100mph+ trains on the section between Gloucester and Bromsgrove where there are few loops and getting into them isn't easy.
Easy to say, but given it was specced for the local stopping service to give headroom for freight will be an almighty task. Any changes to the wires southwest of Bristol will likely need to wait until XC have a shift towards electric traction (which should happen, but I can't see where the money's coming from in the next 10 years at least).
1.) While that is true, freight growth should not come at the expense of passenger growth.
2.) Pingewood has the M4 and Reading services, several business parks, a sewage works, the tip, and numerous lakes from gravel extraction. There is some nicer parts of countryside left, but most of it is flood plain and can't be build. Sidings on the site I suggested are within an existing industrial area and would not affect the condition of the remaining green belt at all.
3.) Diversionary capacity is just part of the business case, freight growth would be the primary reason.
Wasn't the S and C heavily upgraded on the justification of coal traffic pathing alone?
4.) OK, so upgraded loops potentially needed in conjuction with gauge widening in the future.
5.)Wires on the rest of the Bristol to Birmingham main line would be good, but upgrading the Lickey Incline is the most crucial part. An additional feeder could also have the benefit of permitting extensions e.g. Bromsgrove to Worcester, no?