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| High Speed Rail Link 11/03/2010 at 09:00 #841 | |
caedave
142 posts |
Chris. It looks like your New Element (Governmentium) is in full use. The High Speed Rail link, intended to cut the time from London to Birmingham to 46 mins. The Governmentium is considering going via Heathrow Airport. Start date, sometime in 2017, so plenty of time for more of this element to work it wonders. Shades of the Great Way Round. Dave M. Log in to reply |
| High Speed Rail Link 11/03/2010 at 09:00 #7208 | |
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caedave
142 posts |
Chris. It looks like your New Element (Governmentium) is in full use. The High Speed Rail link, intended to cut the time from London to Birmingham to 46 mins. The Governmentium is considering going via Heathrow Airport. Start date, sometime in 2017, so plenty of time for more of this element to work it wonders. Shades of the Great Way Round. Dave M. Log in to reply |
| High Speed Rail Link 11/03/2010 at 09:04 #7209 | |
andyb0607
260 posts |
I really don't understand this necessity to include Heathrow in all these plans! Thought it was supposed to be the new alternative to the big bad aeroplane! Log in to reply |
| High Speed Rail Link 11/03/2010 at 16:16 #7220 | |
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razgriz33
42 posts |
the rails are the best way to move heavy goods around, that and canal barges. cant be bad for people either, it should be a priority on the budget over building new terminals
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| High Speed Rail Link 11/03/2010 at 20:29 #7224 | |
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Tristan
60 posts |
I see also that the "Namby Pambys are up in arms about it coing through the chilterns.
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| High Speed Rail Link 11/03/2010 at 21:25 #7228 | |
GeoffM
6280 posts |
I believe the airport idea is so that people arriving on long haul flights don't change to a domestic flight to go home, but instead take the (fast) train.
SimSig Boss Log in to reply |
| High Speed Rail Link 11/03/2010 at 22:42 #7232 | |
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pbinnersley
431 posts |
There are very detailed maps of the proposed HS2 route (and proposed track layouts) on the DfT website (http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/hs2ltd/route/). Other parts of the site contain copies of the Summary report and Command Paper (full report). There are two stations at both London and Birmingham, once city centre and one on the edge to distribute people over the local transport network. The line will run from a below ground station at London Euston, initially following the WCML to Queens Park when is will run south to a new (sub surface) interchange station at Old Oak Common (Crossrail, North London, Heathrow Connect). It will then turn NW running roughly on the old GC alignment from Aylesbury to Brackley and then runs through on a new alignment passing north of Banbury, south of Southam and north of Leamington Spa and Kenilworth to a new Birmingham Interchange station (with 5 storey car park) near the airport in the triangle formed by the M42/A45/A452. The line them splits with the main line joining the WCML just to the West of Lichfield station. A triangular junction near the M6/M42 junction givers access to a new above ground Birmingham "Fazeley Street Station" with a main entrance near Moor Street station. There is also provision for a connection to a high speed line to the north east. Peter. Log in to reply |
| High Speed Rail Link 11/03/2010 at 23:29 #7235 | |
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caedave
142 posts |
This is going to get interesting, at least at the Bham end around Washwood Heath. Divert the river Rae and Tame and lower the ground in an area well known for flooding. Dave M. Log in to reply |
| High Speed Rail Link 12/03/2010 at 20:11 #7253 | |
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GeoffM
6280 posts |
Thanks for the link, Peter. My initial thoughts, looking at the maps only: Interesting that some former rail line segments are being used. Disappointing that anybody arriving by Eurostar will have to walk at least a quarter of a mile to get to Euston for the next segment of their journey - maybe solved by an underground travelator system? And only a connection with Birmingham airport, which seems to be more of a happy coincidence than a design decision. The Heathrow connection I suppose is covered by the Old Oak station, as long as the Heathrow Connect services then go additionally to T5 (they currently only serve the CTA and T4). SimSig Boss Log in to reply |
| High Speed Rail Link 12/03/2010 at 21:11 #7256 | |
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JamesN
1574 posts 
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I suppose there is always the offchance we could see a short spur connecting HS1 and HS2, allowing international trains to go direct to Birmingham/THE NORTH, and/or maybe even a Spur from Old Oak Common to Heathrow under the GWML/HEX alignment. When spending billions on HS2, the odd £100million extra for these facities would be a drop in a puddle in comparison, for major user benefit.
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| High Speed Rail Link 12/03/2010 at 22:20 #7257 | |
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pbinnersley
431 posts |
Geoff, They are currently evaluation options for the link to HS1. Either a travelator or a through rail link, I think some provision was made in the HS1 layout around St Pancras for a future connection to HS2 - the report is due by the Autumn. There are currently 9 flights a day from Birmingham to Paris, at ~800 seats this is less than one train load. At 3h20m Birmingham to Paris this is not much less than the flight time + transfer etc. There is nothing to prevent Heathrow Express (and GWML) trains calling at the new Old Oak station if the traffic demands. I would expect most HS2 travellers to Heathrow will be on long haul flights as most European destinations can be reached from regional airports. They probably won't mind the additional hassle of a short trip on Heathrow Connect/Express. Peter. Log in to reply |
| High Speed Rail Link 12/03/2010 at 23:18 #7258 | |
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caedave
142 posts |
Yes, this problem at the London end I suppose is really down to ALL the old railway companies. Even though some of them had plans to create a grand route to Europe, not one of them built a major London station suitable for conversion to through traffic other than Waterloo, but that was more an East West route. Dave M. Log in to reply |
| High Speed Rail Link 13/03/2010 at 00:03 #7259 | |
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GeoffM
6280 posts |
pbinnersley said:There is nothing to prevent Heathrow Express (and GWML) trains calling at the new Old Oak station if the traffic demandsHEX did demand that they get priority over GWML trains on the basis that even though their top speed is lower, their acceleration more than makes up for it. Having a stop at Old Oak would negate that argument, and also the argument that the fast (sorry, Main) lines between Paddington and Reading are only for non-stop trains between those two stations during the day. But I guess that if both GWML and HEX call at the new station then it's not an issue anyway. SimSig Boss Log in to reply |