HS2 Ltd to plan Clay Cross - Sheffield wiring

[snowball]

Chrisyd on the MML electrification thread in the main forum has posted this press release, which seems worth repeating here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...-for-electrification-of-the-midland-main-line

HS2 Ltd has been asked by the Department for Transport to begin preparatory works for the future electrification of a 25km section of the Midland Main Line from Clay Cross to Sheffield Midland Station.

Following the government’s announcement last summer that the preferred HS2 route would include a spur into Sheffield via Chesterfield, the Secretary of State has asked that electrification of this section of the Midland Main Line be included within the next hybrid Bill for HS2.

HS2 Ltd will begin its preparatory works with a series of land surveys to further inform the work programme. A public consultation on the works required for electrification will be undertaken at a later date, prior to any hybrid Bill being brought to Parliament.

An HS2 Ltd spokesperson said:

The benefits that HS2 will deliver are significant and should not be underestimated. The new railway will play a crucial role in rebalancing Britain’s economy; driving business growth, creating jobs and securing investment right across the country.

Ensuring the Midland Main Line is electrified between Clay Cross and Sheffield Midland Station will enable Chesterfield and the wider Sheffield City Region to benefit from direct services on the new high speed trains.

Does this mean it will be charged to the HS2 project? I think they've been trying to avois that.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

If HS2 wants to serve Sheffield via a branch, it will have to be electrified by either NR or themselves.
Looks like the latter is the only way of guaranteeing it.
It also points at a refusal by DfT to consider putting MML wiring to Sheffield into NR's CP6 plan.
As reported, it won't be the full Sheffield loop back to HS2 further north, so no through HS2 trains from Sheffield to Leeds/York and beyond.
What a pity something like this could not have been slipped into the earlier HS2 bill to electrify Crewe-Chester!

 

[talltim]

Wonder if I will be able to use HS2 trains for my commute on a normal season ticket?

 

[Sceptre]

The regular idiots on Twitter are already adding the entire MML wiring cost onto HS2 as a result of this.

 

[HSTEd]

Well this pretty much guarantees IEPs for the MML......

 

[Domh245]

Well this pretty much guarantees IEPs for the MML......

1) It'd be AT300s - IEPs are the 'core' fleets for the GW franchise and ICEC
2) It wouldn't necessarily be AT300s either, Bombardier are now in the 125mph bi-mode market, and I'm sure other manufacturers would be more than willing to give it a go as well.