Comments by "John Burns" (@johnburns4017) on "HS2: New fears over future of high speed rail link" video.

  1. Old Oak Common cannot act as a full terminal. As for Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Glasgow it just coes though. If all of phase 2 is cancelled, then Birmingham and Manchester can used only Old Oak Common as it is designed and Liverpool and Glasgow can use the existing WCML terminating at Euston. With the Birmingham and Manchester trains off the WCML there is more capacity released on the WCML. Hendy, head of Network Rail, is planning for the WCML from Crewe to Warrington/Preston to be upgraded. This will be making it 4-track and faster. If the bottlenecks of the WCML are removed south of Crewe with the line running at full 140mph end to end, then Liverpool's and Glasgow's times to London will be not short of the times given to them on HS2. Their passengers can make up the shortfall by terminating at Euston.
    9
  2. Fantastic suggestion. More pollution.
    3
  3. This is good for Liverpool as the city was bypassed by HS2. The city naturally wanted only parity with Whitehall favourite Manchester. The point is that if any city needed an extra line run in it is Liverpool as it built a second container terminal. It needs an extra line for port capacity.
    3
  4. HS2 is not fit for purpose. It was supposed to connect British provincial cites with the Continent. When this was removed because they crazily wanted to get onto HS1 on the surface across parts of London, its raison d'etre dissolved. It should have been cancelled immediately. Then after HS2 was introduced NPR was given the go which complicated matters. A full redesign was the only option. The main spine should have been east of the Pennines with trains running south peeling off either to London or the Chunnel via HS1. East-west NPR could branch into the spine in Yorkshire taking trains to Liverpool & Manchester, and act as a linear hub. A lot of time wasted a purely bad design, which now will be a WCML relief line.
    3
  5.  @streammaster_  Uh?
    2
  6. HMG said it will promote NPR. That is what the North needs not another line to London. Birmingham will have three. No kidding.
    1
  7.  @streammaster_  There is a distance which it works well, not too short and not too far. Scotland to London falls within, but HS2s furthest northern points were near York and Wigan. It was senseless having the Y shape.
    1
  8. Why?
    1
  9.  @deang5622  It should have been strangled at birth.
    1
  10. When phase 1 is complete Manchester will be 1 hr 30 mins from London. What are they all whingeing about?
    1
  11. HS2 trains can enter the Elizabeth Line at Old Oak Common. Elizabeth can take them. They can have limited selected station stops in the West End and City. Even cutting HS2 at Birmingham it will still be quicker end to end using direct: WCML, HS2 then Elizabeth Line to West End/City.
    1
  12. When phase 1 is complete Manchester will be 1 hr 30 mins from London. What are they all whingeing about?
    1
  13.  @nvelsen1975  OOC can take about 10+ trains per hour.
    1
  14.  @nvelsen1975  The way the station is arranged at the eastern end it can take over 10 trains an hour. Enough for: Liverpool, Bham, Glas and Man.
    1
  15.  @nvelsen1975  Union thugs eh! Did these people eat babies as well?
    1
  16. No. Just the Liverpool to Hull very fast line.
    1
  17.  @dovetonsturdee7033  Classic compatible. Not designed yet. Needs to be optimized for WCML running, then fast times.
    1