Ok so let’s say passenger numbers drop by about 30% as a result of less full-week commuting (started by COVID)
With less money available and less commuting due to take place in the next 20 (or so) years, where does HS2 stand? Is its business case really still so strong? Is the capacity relief really needed anymore? Would love to hear some thoughts below.
Personally, I’d say that London to Birmingham and Crewe should be focused on and built ASAP. From there, I’d look at whether the branches to Wigan and Manchester should really be built in their currently planned form. Perhaps there could be a 4 track alignment to the Wilmslow area (middle tracks are high speed all the way from Crewe) then going underground and doing a sharp left and a sharp right to go to Manchester Airport, by which time it’d be on the NPR route into Piccadilly, where I’d like a low level station. That’d ensure there’s minimal future capacity problems, with a lot of stuff taken away from the Stockport and Piccadilly route.
Now what about NPR (or HS3/HSN)? Personally, I’d say it should be built in full, from Liverpool to Manchester via Warrington, then onto Leeds via Bradford then finally Church Fenton/York. This’d all be segregated from the rest of the network as planned. This is a major capacity relief for the existing TransPennine route, which itself could take some of the Hope Valley freight trains as long as Sheffield and Meadowhall can take that - maybe a couple of services per hour through there would have be cut as a result of the pandemic. There’ll be a way hopefully.
As for the Eastern Leg of HS2, I think it should be built, but much later. The need is a little less, but still there. Start with the bit to East Midlands Hub, then to the Sheffield link, then to Leeds/York parts.
But, yes, if anyone has any suggestions, they'd be great to hear.
With less money available and less commuting due to take place in the next 20 (or so) years, where does HS2 stand? Is its business case really still so strong? Is the capacity relief really needed anymore? Would love to hear some thoughts below.
Personally, I’d say that London to Birmingham and Crewe should be focused on and built ASAP. From there, I’d look at whether the branches to Wigan and Manchester should really be built in their currently planned form. Perhaps there could be a 4 track alignment to the Wilmslow area (middle tracks are high speed all the way from Crewe) then going underground and doing a sharp left and a sharp right to go to Manchester Airport, by which time it’d be on the NPR route into Piccadilly, where I’d like a low level station. That’d ensure there’s minimal future capacity problems, with a lot of stuff taken away from the Stockport and Piccadilly route.
Now what about NPR (or HS3/HSN)? Personally, I’d say it should be built in full, from Liverpool to Manchester via Warrington, then onto Leeds via Bradford then finally Church Fenton/York. This’d all be segregated from the rest of the network as planned. This is a major capacity relief for the existing TransPennine route, which itself could take some of the Hope Valley freight trains as long as Sheffield and Meadowhall can take that - maybe a couple of services per hour through there would have be cut as a result of the pandemic. There’ll be a way hopefully.
As for the Eastern Leg of HS2, I think it should be built, but much later. The need is a little less, but still there. Start with the bit to East Midlands Hub, then to the Sheffield link, then to Leeds/York parts.
But, yes, if anyone has any suggestions, they'd be great to hear.
