3. Hope. New tunnels and more loops. I'd personally love to see Hope valley as a freight corridor as there seems to be room for four-tracking and less passenger traffic but things get awkward on the west side as it's hard to avoid Piccadilly or Victoria. Both 2 and 3 share the same path after Manchester Victoria to Liverpool.
The ideas proposed in the positions mapped might work if they were there now, but when you note the time it took to get agreement to the very much more modest Hope Valley Capacity Improvement Scheme (roughly 20 years and construction has still to be given the go ahead) there's little chance of even the simplest parts happening.
Four tracking through the Peak District National Park would be fiercely resisted.
More freight services through any Peak route will be fiercely resisted.
Four tracking to double capacity at Cowburn and Totley ignores what is present at each end, particularly at Grindleford and Totley. Only about 6 miles of new tunnels needed!
Four tracking down the Sheaf Valley into Sheffield from Dore might be possible, as long as Tesco can be compensated for totally rebuilding their store, as well as a few other busineses in the way.
Four tracking around Chinley might be possible.
Passenger service reductions aren't going to happen.
However what would help to increase capacity and would be much less costly might be;
1. longer trains, as is happening
2. modernising signalling to allow trains to run safely closer together - supposed to happen.
3. more loops to allow overtaking of stopping services and freight trains by fast services
4. adding bi-directional sections through stations (say Dore and Hope) to allow overtaking without even constructing a loop. A possibility at Dore as part of the Scheme.