Fantasy High speed rail maps

[Sad Sprinter]

Over the years, I’ve seen many people open threads showcasing maps or diagrams they’ve made of fantasy high speed networks for the UK. I always enjoy looking at them, so if you’ve made one in the past or would like to make one do post it here. After all, even though HS2 is under construction, I personally, still find it fun and informative to discuss alternative proposals and speculate what could come next after HS2/3.

 

[LOL The Irony]

Over the years, I’ve seen many people open threads showcasing maps or diagrams they’ve made of fantasy high speed networks for the UK. I always enjoy looking at them, so if you’ve made one in the past or would like to make one do post it here. After all, even though HS2 is under construction, I personally, still find it fun and informative to discuss alternative proposals and speculate what could come next after HS2/3.

Bringing out ye olde faithful

LOL's UK High Speed network – Google My Maps

LOL's UK High Speed network

www.google.com

On another note, realistically, the only bits of HSR that'll be built after HS2 will probably be an extension to Glasgow once MacCranky and her lot are out.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Bringing out ye olde faithful

LOL's UK High Speed network – Google My Maps

LOL's UK High Speed network

www.google.com

On another note, realistically, the only bits of HSR that'll be built after HS2 will probably be an extension to Glasgow once MacCranky and her lot are out.

Interesting, but why the loop through Dumfries?

 

[LOL The Irony]

Interesting, but why the loop through Dumfries?

I believe it was to serve Dumfries. If I had to remake it, there would be a lot of rationalisation.

 

[NoRoute]

Bringing out ye olde faithful

LOL's UK High Speed network – Google My Maps

LOL's UK High Speed network

www.google.com

On another note, realistically, the only bits of HSR that'll be built after HS2 will probably be an extension to Glasgow once MacCranky and her lot are out.

I get the lines following the M4, M1, M40, M6 all connecting the major towns and cities along those routes, so a very significant population within the catchment area. But why is there that huge loop going to Peterborough and Grantham? seems a lot of extra route to serve two relatively small locations given the extra route.

 

[LOL The Irony]

I get the lines following the M4, M1, M40, M6 all connecting the major towns and cities along those routes, so a very significant population within the catchment area. But why is there that huge loop going to Peterborough and Grantham? seems a lot of extra route to serve two relatively small locations given the extra route.

Refer to

I believe it was to serve Dumfries. If I had to remake it, there would be a lot of rationalisation.

 

[PTR 444]

I believe it was to serve Dumfries. If I had to remake it, there would be a lot of rationalisation.

So by that, are you proposing to close pretty much the entire GSW, as well as the ECML south of Peterborough as per your later post?

 

[LOL The Irony]

So by that, are you proposing to close pretty much the entire GSW, as well as the ECML south of Peterborough as per your later post?

No, the other way round, If I had to be bothered to remake it at any point. A lot of duplication and extensions would go, replaced by track sharing of different HSL's. The HSL's were intended to be separate anyways (Like how HS2 phase 2 will follow the current Crewe - Manchester alignment but not result in the latter's closure).

 

[Anonymous10]

Over the years, I’ve seen many people open threads showcasing maps or diagrams they’ve made of fantasy high speed networks for the UK. I always enjoy looking at them, so if you’ve made one in the past or would like to make one do post it here. After all, even though HS2 is under construction, I personally, still find it fun and informative to discuss alternative proposals and speculate what could come next after HS2/3.

high speed link from Paddington to bristol then splitting to go to Cardiff and Swansea and another down to penzance?

 

[PTR 444]

Check out my proposal from a couple of years ago:

My idea for a UK wide high speed rail network

The map above shows my idea for a UK-wide high speed rail network. HS2 will be built to the same route as currently planned but the eastern phase 2 branch will now be a separate project called HSMidland which will also have a branch to Doncaster. The Northern Powerhouse rail project will be...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[EnriqueEspaña]

Not sure if you were adapting HS2 on your map but the route it takes out of London is quite a bit off. You have it following the GWR via Slough, but it should more closely shadow the Chiltern Mainline through Ruislip, then loosely follow the A413 towards Aylesbury and from there roughly in a straight line towards Birmingham.

Otherwise I really like your ideas (Apart from the Dumfries loop previously mentioned that really is speculative!)

 

[HSTEd]

I did a set of calculations on a maglev system (I know I know, I'm still saying its a rail, even if the rail is made of concrete and electronics and is a different shape!), about 1150km long, running from Aberdeen to vicinity of Penzance (maybe Cambourne for better access to a wider range of Cornish destinations).

Around ~10 trains per hour on a single loop of guideway (at least operationally) to avoid pointwork lag times. IF you constrain accelerations to tube levels you can get these travel times, in minutes:

(And I know its not a map but you know, I just assumed near straight line tunnels!)

 

[HST43257]

There’s no map for this but

High speed infrastructure:
Existing HS1 minus London approach
Cambridge to Stratford Int via Stansted
Core route from Stratford Int to Reading via Euston Cross, OOC and Heathrow
Planned HS2 minus London approach
NPR with underground Liv, Manc, Brad & Lds stations
Straighter Dar to Ncl
Ncl to Glc via edb

HS1:
1tph Hereford to Kent via oxf
1tph Banbury to Kent via oxf
1tph Bristol to Kent via bpw
1tph Cardiff to Kent via bpw

HS2 West:
3tph London to Brum
1tph London to Shrewsbury via Sutton Coldfield + wvh
3tph London to Manc
2tph London to Chester and Liverpool via wbq
1tph London to Huddersfield via stoke
1tph London to Glasgow
1tph London to Aberdeen via Whifflet

HS2 East
1tph London to Edb via Dby and Bwk
2tph London to Lds and Lds via Shf (confusing I know)
1tph London to Washington (Leamside)
1tph London to Glasgow and Middlesbrough
1tph London to Glasgow and Edinburgh via bwk
2tph Birmingham to Leeds
1tph Birmingham to Newcastle

HS3 (NPR):
2tph Liv to Glc via York
1tph Bhm to Mbr
1tph Bhm to Edb via bwk
2tph Liv to Hull
1tph Liv to Not avoiding shf
1tph Liv to Cleethorpes
1tph Manc to Washington (Leamside)
1tph Manc to Hull via Shf and Goole

HS4:
2tph Cambridge to Bristol via Bath
2tph Cambridge to Cardiff

 

[Irascible]

OOC-Heathrow-Southampton-Bournemouth-Taunton-Exeter-Plymouth ( there is a reason for going via Taunton, if you look at a map... ). Connect the SW with south coast and still be faster to London. In an even bigger flight of fantasy, an infill of Taunton-Bristol-Birmingham-HS1.

No maps at present, if I did one I'd want to at least pretend to be checking the geology... maybe someone would like to have a shot at it.