Where should HS3 go and why?

[Muzer]

Speaking of which, there is a long stretch of road around Swaythling/St Denys (Thomas Lewis Way) that was build in the 80s. following the railway closely. Out of interest, does anyone know what it was before the road?

 

[MarkyT]

Speaking of which, there is a long stretch of road around Swaythling/St Denys (Thomas Lewis Way) that was build in the 80s. following the railway closely. Out of interest, does anyone know what it was before the road?

Without any old track diagram references I couldn't say if there were any additional parallel tracks along here.

According to pathetic motorways the route of the road mentioned was planned to be part of the abandoned M272 Portswood Link

http://pathetic.org.uk/unbuilt/m272/

I would expect the width required would have been safeguarded for that purpose and opportunities taken to acquire parcels of land progressively along the route over many years.

 

[HowardGWR]

Without any old track diagram references I couldn't say if there were any additional parallel tracks along here.

According to pathetic motorways the route of the road mentioned was planned to be part of the abandoned M272 Portswood Link

http://pathetic.org.uk/unbuilt/m272/

I would expect the width required would have been safeguarded for that purpose and opportunities taken to acquire parcels of land progressively along the route over many years.

!930s OS indicates a lot of demolition south of St Denys (slum clearance?) and north of it just looks like factories mainly. It looks like they replaced the housing and at the same time gave the new housing much shorter gardens.

In any event the CPO exercise must have been massive.

I have a feeling my challenge on 'HS3' to Southampton is not really being met.

 

[swt_passenger]

Without any old track diagram references I couldn't say if there were any additional parallel tracks along here.

There weren't ever any other tracks along there. The new road itself had no impact on the railway at all - unless you count the access footbridge arrangements on the up side at St Denys.

Historically, St Denys and Swaythling stations were originally built with future three tracking allowed for, hence the wide up platform at St Denys, and the station building at Swaythling being set back a greater than normal distance from the down platform.