HS2 explained?

[Joshrowlands]

Can somebody please explain a few things about HSs2 to me please?

1) is HS2 going to follow the same route (not side by side obviously) as the WCML as in going to the same cities or is it going to be going to different cities?

If yes, then how is it going to work? Is every city it calls at going to have a new station or is HS2 going to create extra platforms at existing stations and if so how, as almost every station is crammed in the middle of a city with no room each side? Or is it going to join on the existing rail before it enters the station?

2) if it is basically taking the same route as the WCML and going to the same cities then when booking a ticket how is that going to work? Will it give the option for WCML or HS2 or will it depend on from what station you're going?

3) if someone is booking a ticket to a certain place from a certain place will it be dearer to go on HS2 route or cheaper?

I know there's a lot of questions here but if somebody with a lot of knowledge about HS2 could explain them to me in detail by using the number points like I have that would be amazing I'm trying to get my head around hs2

 

[Zoidberg]

I've no answers to your questions but you may find this Wiki article informative

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Speed_2#Phase_1_.E2.80.93_London_to_the_West_Midlands

 

[TSR :D]

The answer for 2) 3), since wikipedia link doesn't seem to answer it, is nobody knows.

Most people would say the ticketing arrangement would be similar to HS1. I.e. requiring a specical ticket, routed "via HS2" and is dearer than using classic line.

But then I wouldn't expect it to be too expensive that nobody ever uses it. Ignoring inflation, I'd expect to get a super off peak return via HS2 for around £50.

 

[edwin_m]

The business case for HS2 is based on the fare levels being about the same as on the existing routes.

 

[43074]

Can somebody please explain a few things about HSs2 to me please?

1) is HS2 going to follow the same route (not side by side obviously) as the WCML as in going to the same cities or is it going to be going to different cities?

Phase 1: London to Birmingham Curzon Street & connection to the WCML at Litchfield - stations at Old Oak Common (West London), Birmingham Interchange only.
Phase 2: Branch to East Midlands Hub, Meadowhall & Leeds stations, with connection to ECML near York. Also continuing Phase 1 to Crewe, Manchester Interchange (for Airport) & Manchester, with connection to WCML near Wigan.

If yes, then how is it going to work? Is every city it calls at going to have a new station or is HS2 going to create extra platforms at existing stations and if so how, as almost every station is crammed in the middle of a city with no room each side? Or is it going to join on the existing rail before it enters the station?

The only station basically with HS2 side-by-side is Euston, and possibly Crewe.

 

[Joshrowlands]

Phase 1: London to Birmingham Curzon Street & connection to the WCML at Litchfield - stations at Old Oak Common (West London), Birmingham Interchange only.
Phase 2: Branch to East Midlands Hub, Meadowhall & Leeds stations, with connection to ECML near York. Also continuing Phase 1 to Crewe, Manchester Interchange (for Airport) & Manchester, with connection to WCML near Wigan.



The only station basically with HS2 side-by-side is Euston, and possibly Crewe.

So the rest of the stations it's just going to join on the existing line? And now is this going to work? I'm beyond confused lol

 

[221129]

So the rest of the stations it's just going to join on the existing line? And now is this going to work? I'm beyond confused lol

from my reading there won't be other stations....

 

[43074]

So the rest of the stations it's just going to join on the existing line? And now is this going to work? I'm beyond confused lol

If we go back to basics the only stations on the new line will be:

• Euston
• Old Oak Common
• Birmingham Interchange
• Birmingham Curzon Street
• East Midlands HS
• Meadowhall
• Leeds
• Manchester Interchange
• Manchester Piccadilly

The new line will run from Euston to Birmingham where there will be a junction: East to the Midlands & North East, with a connection to the East Coast Main Line near York, and West to Manchester and Wigan, where there will be a connection to the WCML.

More information

EDIT:

The first phase of HS2 will take the railway from London to Birmingham. Phase One will link London Euston with a new station at Birmingham Curzon Street and will include a station at Old Oak Common in west London and another near Birmingham Airport.
[Snip]
Phase Two of HS2 will see the railway divide into 2 lines, one to Manchester Piccadilly via Crewe and Manchester Airport and the other to Leeds via the East Midlands and Sheffield Meadowhall.

 

[Agent_c]

So the rest of the stations it's just going to join on the existing line? And now is this going to work? I'm beyond confused lol

Think of it as being an express lane, built somewhere else.

Its for long distance traffic only - There are no "local" stations. Phase 1 is Euston, Outer London, and the Birmingham. If your destination is before Birmingham, there's no point getting on, as the train doesnt go there.

At the end of the phase there is an interchange onto the WCML where trains can continue on as long distance WCML trains currently do.

It opens up more capacity on the "bypassed" WCML bits for shorter stopping service

 

[Joshrowlands]

If we go back to basics the only stations on the new line will be:

• Euston
• Old Oak Common
• Birmingham Interchange
• Birmingham Curzon Street
• East Midlands HS
• Meadowhall
• Leeds
• Manchester Interchange
• Manchester Piccadilly

The new line will run from Euston to Birmingham where there will be a junction: East to the Midlands & North East, with a connection to the East Coast Main Line near York, and West to Manchester and Wigan, where there will be a connection to the WCML.

More information

EDIT:

But how is hs2 going to serve these stations because the maximum speed for the existing lines that join these stations currently is 12mph

 

[NotATrainspott]

The only station basically with HS2 side-by-side is Euston, and possibly Crewe.

And Piccadilly.

 

[Joshrowlands]

And Piccadilly.

Side by side meaning? A seperate station or joining on the existing one?

 

[43074]

But how is hs2 going to serve these stations because the maximum speed for the existing lines that join these stations currently is 125mph

Via a brand new double track High Speed line, which is the HS2 line.

Trains will run off the new HS2 line to the existing lines at Litchfield (end of Phase 1), Wigan (Western branch) or near York (Eastern branch).

Using these connections, HS2 trains can from London to Glasgow (or Preston, Liverpool - anywhere currently served by Virgin that the HS2 line won't serve) using the HS2 line as far North as possible, then serving existing stations using new connections from the HS2 line.

I'm not sure how to make that clearer

 

[Agent_c]

But how is hs2 going to serve these stations because the maximum speed for the existing lines that join these stations currently is 12mph

With the exception of Euston and Piccadilly, none of those stations currently exist.

 

[NotATrainspott]

Side by side meaning? A seperate station or joining on the existing one?

A brand new station that happens to be built parallel and next door:

The existing station is the part with the brick arches, while the HS2 one is obviously the new concrete and wood arch section. This is just a proposal though.

Here's the architectural study by Bennetts about the plans.

The HS2 tracks only run into the new HS2 platforms. As they continue away from Piccadilly, they will start to descend from the viaduct down into a cutting and then into a 12 kilometre tunnel out to the Airport.

 

[The Ham]

The answer for 2) 3), since wikipedia link doesn't seem to answer it, is nobody knows.

Most people would say the ticketing arrangement would be similar to HS1. I.e. requiring a specical ticket, routed "via HS2" and is dearer than using classic line.

But then I wouldn't expect it to be too expensive that nobody ever uses it. Ignoring inflation, I'd expect to get a super off peak return via HS2 for around £50.

I would expect (but as others have said nobody knows, so this is only my view) ticketing to be more like the existing site with "any permitted" which allows any valid route including HS2 and "TOC only" and "via station" which limit you to which route you use. The latter giving the operators on the WCML the chance to provide cheaper tickets which can't be used on the faster services, much as London Midland do compared to Virgin.

There is an argument that says, given the extra capacity compared to just the WCML that operators wouldn't need to price people off of trains and so there maybe more tickets sold as advanced tickets.

Given the limited number of stations on HS2, depending on connection times, there could be still a fair few people for whom it is not worth the extra for the journey time savings or for whom the inconvenience of changing isn't worth the journey time savings.

I would therefore expect that the existing WCIC franchise to take on HS2 services whilst still running a number of their existing WCML services. There will be a number of train paths (which will depend on which bits of HS2 are built at the time) which be no longer required by them which will then be freed up for use by others.

 

[Altfish]

If we go back to basics the only stations on the new line will be:

• Euston
• Old Oak Common
• Birmingham Interchange
• Birmingham Curzon Street
• East Midlands HS
• Meadowhall
• Leeds
• Manchester Interchange
• Manchester Piccadilly

The new line will run from Euston to Birmingham where there will be a junction: East to the Midlands & North East, with a connection to the East Coast Main Line near York, and West to Manchester and Wigan, where there will be a connection to the WCML.

More information

EDIT:

Is Manchester Interchange the name of the Airport Station?

 

[Altnabreac]

Is Manchester Interchange the name of the Airport Station?

Yes. Also it's not 100% confirmed yet but rather it's under investigation.

I suspect it will form part of the scheme though as it helps provide access to some of the Cheshire communities that otherwise are losing out.