The Anonymous Widower

High Speed Two To Barrow-in-Furness

There has been a lot of speculation about the Northern end of High Speed Two, so I might as well add sort out a few facts and add a bit of  speculation of my own.

Barrow-in-Furness Used To Have A Service To London

Barrow-in-Furness station doesn’t have a direct service to London.

This paragraph from the Wikipedia entry, describes how it used to be.

The present station was formerly known as Barrow Central, and at one time it was a terminus for British Rail long-distance or InterCity services. From October 1947 until May 1983 these included sleeper services to and from London Euston. A sleeper service in the London direction only was briefly reintroduced between May 1987 and May 1990.

Note.

  1. I find it interesting, that the area had both InterCity and sleeper services.
  2. There are some big employers like BAe Systems and British Nuclear Fuels in the area.
  3. Rishi Sunak has announced that the Cumbrian Coast Line will be upgraded.
  4. A High Speed Two service could improve low-carbon access to the Lake District.
  5. Grimsby/Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire, which probably has a similar economic profile to Barrow-in-Furness appears to be getting a service from London as I wrote about in Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route. So why shouldn’t Barrow-in-Furness have a similar service?

It is my view that Barrow-in-Furness station could support a sprinkling of services.

The Current Barrow-in-Furness Service

Barrow-in-Furness station’s current services are described in these two paragraphs from the Wikipedia entry.

Services to the north are provided on Monday-Saturday by Northern, with services approximately hourly during the day to Whitehaven and Carlisle. One train per day operates to Sellafield specifically for workers at Sellafield nuclear plant (BNFL). Evening trains run only as far as Millom. There are 19 northbound departures each weekday; 15 of these go to Carlisle, three to Millom and one to Sellafield. There are 20 arrivals from the northern part of the line: 15 from Carlisle, three from Millom, one from Maryport and one from Sellafield. Some of these services continue along the Furness Line to Lancaster and Preston.

To the south, there are a mixture of stopping services to Lancaster and a number of through services to Manchester Airport via Manchester Piccadilly. These operate on a broadly hourly frequency, with a few peak extras throughout the week (including Sundays).

Hard facts on what the improvements to the line will be, have not been reported. But it does seem that a doubling of frequency to two trains per hour (tph)  is being proposed.

What Are The Government’s Plans?

This news story from the Government is entitled North West To Benefit From £19.8 billion Transport Investment.

Proposed improvements in Cumbria are contained in this paragraph.

A brand new £2.5 billion fund to transform local transport in 14 rural counties, smaller cities and towns. This new money could pay for new stations, further electrification, bus corridors and new integrated public transport networks. The Energy Coast Line between Carlisle, Workington and Barrow will be upgraded, improving capacity and journey times, enabling trains every 30 minutes between Carlisle, Workington and Whitehaven. The upgrade will also accommodate major new freight demands from the new coal mine and provide regular services for the Westlakes Science Park, Nuclear Academy and Sellafield. This could support the creation of over 18,000 jobs.

I have my thoughts.

Will The Route Be Electrified?

The Cumbrian Coast and the Furness Line effectively form a near 120 mile loop between Carnforth and Carlisle stations on the West Coast Main Line.

  • A journey from one end to the other takes about three hours and 18 minutes.
  • Main towns and places served include Barrow-in-Furness, Sellafield, Whitehaven and Workington.
  • A train between Carnforth and Carlisle can stop at as many as 29 stations.
  • The route is not electrified, but it connects to the electrified West Coast Main Line at both ends at Carnforth and Carlisle.

This OpenRailwayMap shows Carnforth.

Note.

  1. The red line is the West Coast Main Line between Carlisle and Lancaster.
  2. Carlisle is to the North.
  3. Lancaster is to the South.
  4. The black line going North-West is the Furness Line to Barrow-in-Furness.
  5. The black line going East is the Bentham Line to Settle and Leeds.

This OpenRailwayMap shows Carlisle.

Note.

  1. The red line is the West Coast Main Line between Scotland and Carnforth.
  2. Scotland is to the North.
  3. Carnforth is to the South.
  4. The black line going South-West is the Cumbrian Coast Line to Workington, Whitehaven and Barrow-in-Furness.
  5. The black line going East is the Settle and Carlisle Line to Settle and Leeds.

If it were to be fully electrified, it could be a diversion route for electrified trains on the West Coast Main Line.

This document on the Government web site is the Train Technical Specification for High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains.

The specification says this about the unit and train formation.

The nominal length of the Unit shall be 200m. It has been determined that all Units should
be the same length, with no requirement for a Unit to be capable of being lengthened or
shortened. This supports the overall HS2 business case.

The Unit shall be capable of Normal Operation as a single Unit or as two coupled Units.

On the Wikipedia entry for the Cumbrian Coast Line, there is a picture of a very long steam-hauled train on the line.

Full electrification would have these advantages.

  • In the next few years several 21st century electrical multiple units will be looking for new places to operate.
  • I am fairly certain, that a fully-electrified Cumbrian Coast Line could act as a diversion for High Speed Two and the West Coast Main Line between Carnforth and Carlisle.
  • It would enable occasional High Speed Two services to Carlisle via Barrow-in-Furness, Sellafield, Whitehaven and Workington.
  • It would also allow electrified freight trains to the new coal mine at Workington and to Sellafield.

But trains from the coal mine would probably need to have hydrogen-hybrid locomotives to get across the Pennines to Teesside for export.

Partial Electrification Of The Line

Partial electrification would probably need the following.

  • Installation of electrification between Carnforth and Barrow-in-Furness, so that High Speed Two services can reach Barrow-in-Furness.
  • Installation of electrification from Carlisle for enough miles towards Workington to be able to charge the local trains.
  • The local trains would need to be able to run about seventy miles on batteries.

Partial electrification would be more affordable, but it would allow the following.

  • Battery-electric trains to work between Carnforth and Carlisle.
  • It would enable occasional High Speed Two services to Barrow-in-Furness
  • Hydrogen-hybrid locomotive-hauled freight trains to the new coal mine at Workington and to Sellafield.

Rail passengers in, to and from Cumbria would probably see a similar level of improvement to that with full electrification.

What Time Would Be Possible At The Present Time?

Consider.

  • According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, two hours and twenty-five minutes is the fastest time between London Euston and Lancaster.
  • Trains are timed to take one hour and four minutes with the nine stops, between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.
  • To save time some stops could be cut between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.

This would give a London Euston and Barrow-in-Furness time of three hours and twenty-nine minutes, but by removing perhaps five stops, the time could be around three hours and fifteen minutes.

What Time Would Be Possible When High Speed Two Lite Opens To Handsacre Junction?

Consider.

  • According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, two hours and three minutes will be the fastest time between London Euston and Lancaster, after High Speed Two opens to Handsacre junction.
  • Trains are timed to take one hour and four minutes with the nine stops, between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.
  • To save time some stops could be cut between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster.

This would give a London Euston and Barrow-in-Furness time of three hours and seven minutes, but by removing perhaps five stops, the time could be under three hours.

What Frequency Would Be Needed?

LNER seem to run their secondary services to places like Harrogate and Lincoln using a frequency of one train per two hours (tp2h).

That could be an ideal frequency.

 

Would There Be A Path For The Train To And From London Euston?

This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.

Note.

  1. Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
  2. Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  3. Each of these trains will have a frequency of one tph.
  4. The nine paths to the right of the vertical black line will not be needed for some time. If ever!
  5. It looks like a maximum of only eleven paths will be needed to the South of Birmingham.
  6. It looks like a maximum of only fourteen paths will be needed to the North of Birmingham.

In Will High Speed Two Lite Make Stafford An Important Station?, I totted up all the services through Stafford after High Speed Two Lite opened to Handsacre junction and got these figures.

  • Through Stafford station, there are totals of 11 tpd and 14 tph.
  • Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 11 tpd and 12 tph.
  • North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 12 tph.
  • South of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 2 tpd and 2 tph.
  • Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 2 tph.

I accounted for services moving from the West Coast Main Line to High Speed Two.

Consider.

  • A large proportion of the route between Preston and Handsacre junction, where the route would join High Speed Two Light has two dedicated high speed tracks and two tracks for freight and local services.
  • Digital signalling on High Speed Two has been designed to handle eighteen trains per hour (tph) at 225 mph.
  • Surely, the two dedicated high speed tracks, if fitted with High Speed Two digital signalling could handle say 16 tph at 140 mph.
  • Network Rail are good at juggling trains to squeeze in more services.
  • Extra paths could be created by splitting and joining trains at Crewe or Preston.

My Control Engineering training and practice tells me that it should be possible to add perhaps two tph between Lancaster and Euston.

Could High Speed Two’s Lancaster Service Be Extended To Barrow-in-Furness?

I don’t see why some services could be extended the 34.8 miles to Barrow-in-Furness.

Would Much Work Be Needed At Barrow-in-Furness?

This Google Map shows Barrow-in-Furness station.

Note.

Trains to and from Carnforth come and go from the South East.

Trains to and from Sellafield, Whitehaven and Workington and Carlisle come and go from the North West.

There are three platforms.

Work needed to be done would include.

  • Creation of a 200 metre platform for the High Speed Two trains.
  • Electrification.
  • Addition of charging facilities to the platform for the local trains, which would probably be standard electrification.

Passengers would walk across between the High Speed Two and local trains.

Conclusion

I believe that High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains could be under three hours between Barrow-in-Furness and London Euston, when High Speed Two Lite opens from Handsacre junction.

 

October 9, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

High Speed Two To Blackpool

There has been a lot of speculation about the Northern end of High Speed Two, so I might as well add sort out a few facts and add a bit of  speculation of my own.

The Current Blackpool Service

I shall look at the 05:35 train on the 5th October 2023.

  • It was a pair of Voyagers or Class 221 trains.
  • Euston and Blackpool North are 226.5 miles apart.
  • The train called at Preston, Wigan North Western, Warrington Bank Quay, Crewe and Stafford
  • The train should have arrived at Preston at 05:56 and left at 0600.
  • The train should have arrived at Wigan North Western at 06:11 and left at 06:12.
  • The train should have arrived at Warrington Bank Quay at 06:22 and left at 06:24.
  • The train should have arrived at Crewe at 06:46 and left at 06:55.
  • The train should have arrived at Stafford at 07:13 and left at 07:14.
  • The train should have arrived at London Euston at 08:35
  • The journey took three hours.
  • The average speed was 75.5 mph.
  • The Crewe and Blackpool North section is 68.5 miles and the train is scheduled to take one hour and eleven minutes.
  • The average speed between Crewe and Blackpool North is 57.9 mph.
  • There are three trains per day (tpd).

Note.

  1. Other services between London Euston and Blackpool North  are run by eleven-car Class 390 trains or Pendolinos.
  2. Blackpool North is fully electrified to London.

This means that London Euston and Blackpool North could be run using High Speed Two Classic-Compatible trains.

I have a few questions.

What Time Would Be Possible At The Present Time?

Consider.

  • According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, one hour and seventeen minutes is the fastest time between London Euston and Stafford.
  • The 05:35 is timed to take one hour and thirteen minutes with the four stops, between Blackpool North and Stafford.

This would give a London Euston and Blackpool North time of two hours and thirty minutes.

What Time Would Be Possible When High Speed Two Lite Opens To Handsacre Junction?

Consider.

  • According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, fifty-five minutes will be the fastest time between London Euston and Stafford, after High Speed Two opens to Handsacre junction.
  • The 05:35 is timed to take one hour and thirteen minutes with the four stops, between Blackpool North and Stafford.

This would give a London Euston and Blackpool North time of two hours and eight minutes.

What Frequency Would Be Needed?

LNER seem to run their secondary services to places like Harrogate and Lincoln using a frequency of one train per two hours (tp2h).

That could be an ideal frequency.

Would There Be A Path For The Train To And From London Euston?

This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.

Note.

  1. Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
  2. Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  3. Each of these trains will have a frequency of one tph.
  4. The nine paths to the right of the vertical black line will not be needed for some time. If ever!
  5. It looks like a maximum of only eleven paths will be needed to the South of Birmingham.
  6. It looks like a maximum of only fourteen paths will be needed to the North of Birmingham.

In Will High Speed Two Lite Make Stafford An Important Station?, I totted up all the services through Stafford after High Speed Two Lite opened to Handsacre junction and got these figures.

  • Through Stafford station, there are totals of 11 tpd and 14 tph.
  • Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 11 tpd and 12 tph.
  • North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 12 tph.
  • South of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 2 tpd and 2 tph.
  • Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 2 tph.

I accounted for services moving from the West Coast Main Line to High Speed Two.

Consider.

  • A large proportion of the route between Preston and Handsacre junction, where the route would join High Speed Two Light has two dedicated high speed tracks and two tracks for freight and local services.
  • Digital signalling on High Speed Two has been designed to handle eighteen trains per hour (tph) at 225 mph.
  • Surely, the two dedicated high speed tracks, if fitted with High Speed Two digital signalling could handle say 16 tph at 140 mph.
  • Network Rail are good at juggling trains to squeeze in more services.
  • Extra paths could be created by splitting and joining trains at Crewe or Preston.

My Control Engineering training and practice tells me that it should be possible to add perhaps two tph between Preston and Euston.

Conclusion

I believe that High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains could be close to two hours between Blackpool and London Euston, when High Speed Two Lite opens from Handsacre junction.

 

October 8, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Will High Speed Two Lite Make Stafford An Important Station?

Stafford station is where the Trent Valley Line joins the West Coast Main Line and with the current proposals for High Speed Two, which I refer to as High Speed Two Light, it will also have to handle those High Speed Two services to and from Crewe.

Current Services Through Stafford Station

These are current services through Stafford station.

  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Birmingham – 2 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Birmingham – 5 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Edinburgh via Birmingham – 7 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Trent Valley – 1 tpd – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Non-Stop
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Holyhead via Trent Valley – 8 tpd  – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • CrossCountry – Birmingham New Street and Manchester via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 2 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.
  • West Midlands – London Euston and Crewe via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Crewe via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe
  • West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street via Wolverhampton – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe

Note.

  1. tpd is trains per day.
  2. tph is trains per hour.
  3. Through Stafford station, there are totals of 23 tpd and 8 tph.
  4. Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 4 tph.
  5. North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 23 tpd and 4 tph.
  6. South of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 14 tpd and 4 tph.
  7. Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 3 tph.

Stafford is a very busy station.

Services have these frequencies from Stafford.

  • Crewe – 21 tpd and 3 tph.
  • Stoke-on-Trent – 3 tph.
  • London Euston – 23 tpd and 4 tph.
  • Wolverhampton – 13 tpd and 4 tph.

Could Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford do with a few extra services?

High Speed Two Services Through Stafford Station

This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.

Note.

  1. Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
  2. Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  3. Each of these trains will have a frequency of one tph.

These could be High Speed Two services through Stafford station, when High Speed Two Lite opens.

  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Macclesfield via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 3 tph
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph
  • High Speed Two – Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph
  • High Speed Two – Birmingham and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph

Note.

  1. Through Stafford station, there are totals of 11 tph.
  2. Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 11 tph.
  3. North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 11 tph.
  4. Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 1 tph.

There are a lot of trains to squeeze through. But remember that High Speed Two signalling is designed to handle 18 tph.

Combined Services Through Stafford Station

These could be the combined current High Speed Two services through Stafford station, when High Speed Two Lite opens.

  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Birmingham – 2 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Birmingham – 5 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Edinburgh via Birmingham – 7 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Trent Valley – 1 tpd – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Glasgow Central via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Non-Stop
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Holyhead via Trent Valley – 8 tpd  – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • CrossCountry – Birmingham New Street and Manchester via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 2 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.
  • West Midlands – London Euston and Crewe via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Crewe via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe
  • West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street via Wolverhampton – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Macclesfield via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 3 tph
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph
  • High Speed Two – Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph
  • High Speed Two – Birmingham and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph

Note.

  1. Through Stafford station, there are totals of 23 tpd and 19 tph.
  2. Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 15 tph.
  3. North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 23 tpd and 15 tph.
  4. Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 4 tph.

But there are duplicate services.

High Speed Two services to Liverpool, Manchester and Scotland, will replace Avanti West Coast services.

High Speed Two services between Birmingham and Manchester, will replace CrossCountry services.

Removing these current services gives.

  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Birmingham – 2 tpd – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Blackpool North via Trent Valley – 1 tpd – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • Avanti West Coast – London Euston and Holyhead via Trent Valley – 8 tpd  – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • West Midlands – London Euston and Crewe via Trent Valley – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Crewe
  • West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Crewe via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe
  • West Midlands – Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street via Wolverhampton – 1 tph – Stops at Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street/Lancaster via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Crewe
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Macclesfield via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph – Stops at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 3 tph
  • High Speed Two – London Euston and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph
  • High Speed Two – Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 1 tph
  • High Speed Two – Birmingham and Manchester Piccadilly via High Speed Two and Trent Valley Line – 2 tph

Note.

  1. Through Stafford station, there are totals of 11 tpd and 14 tph.
  2. Along the Trent Valley Line, there are totals of 11 tpd and 12 tph.
  3. North of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 9 tpd and 12 tph.
  4. South of Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, there are totals of 2 tpd and 2 tph.
  5. Between Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, there are totals of 2 tph.

With these frequencies, I suspect digital signalling will be needed.

Services have these frequencies from Stafford.

  • Crewe – 11 tpd and 5 tph.
  • Stoke-on-Trent – 2 tph.
  • London Euston – 11 tpd and 4 tph.
  • Wolverhampton – 3 tpd and 2 tph.

Note.

  1. Stoke-on-Trent needs more trains.
  2. There is virtually no trains on the West Coast Main Line to the South of Stafford.
  3. The frequencies indicate digital signalling will be needed.

On this brief look, I think that High Speed Two Lite will open up a lot of possibilities.

 

 

October 7, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Could The High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield And Crewe Still Be Built?

The original plan for High Speed Two included two routes between Lichfield and Crewe.

This map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows the two routes.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two Phase 2a is shown in blue.
  2. High Speed Two Phase 2b is shown in orange.
  3. Crewe is in the North-West corner of the map, at the Southern end of the orange section.
  4. The junction at Lichfield is in the South-East corner of the map.
  5. The lighter blue route to the East, between the Lichfield junction and Crewe is the proposed new tracks of High Speed Two.
  6. The darker blue route to the West, between the Lichfield junction and Crewe is the existing route of the Trent Valley Line and the West Coast Main Line.
  7. The Trent Valley Line joins the West Coast Main Line at Stafford.

This second map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows the junction North of Lichfield, where High Speed Two connects to the Trent Valley Line through Stafford.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two runs North-South across the map.
  2. After the Junction by Fradley South, High Speed Two to Crewe and the North, is the branch to the East.
  3. The other branch connects to the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre junction.
  4. Trent Valley Line can be picked out North of Lichfield, where it passes through Lichfield Trent Valley station.

The Trent Valley Line is no Victorian double-track slow-speed bottleneck.

  • The route between Rugby and Crewe is generally three or four tracks, with only one short stretch of double track, through Shugborough tunnel.
  • The speed limit is generally 110 mph, with 90 mph at Shugborough.
  • I wouldn’t be surprised to see Avanti West Coast’s Class 390 and Class 807 trains could be running at up to 140 mph on the route, if digital signalling were to be installed.
  • This speed would probably be attained by High Speed Two trains.

London Euston and Stafford would only have under twenty miles of slower line and that could be 140 mph, so High Speed Two  times on the route could be very fast.

Trains Between London And Stafford Before And After High Speed Two To Lichfield

Currently, Avanti West Coast trains take around one hour and seventeen minutes between London and Stafford.

The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives these times between London and Stafford.

  • Fastest time before High Speed Two – one hour and seventeen minutes.
  • Time after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens – fifty-five minutes.

Note.

  1. That is a time saving of twenty-two minutes.
  2. High Speed Two Trains will use the link between the junction at Lichfield and the Trent Valley Line.
  3. High Speed Two will also add eighteen trains per hour (tph) to the capacity between London and Lichfield.

This would seem to mean that any trains  going to or through Stafford will be twenty-two minutes faster, if they use High Speed Two between London and Lichfield.

Trains Between London And Crewe Before And After High Speed Two To Crewe

Currently, Avanti West Coast trains take around one hour and thirty minutes between London and Crewe.

The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives these times between London and Crewe.

  • Fastest time before High Speed Two – one hour and thirty minutes.
  • Time after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens – fifty-six minutes.

Note.

  1. That is a time saving of thirty-four minutes.
  2. High Speed Two Trains will use the direct line between Lichfield and Crewe.
  3. High Speed Two will also add eighteen tph to the capacity between London and Crewe.

This would seem to mean that any trains  going to or through Crewe will be thirty-four minutes faster, if they use High Speed Two between London and Crewe.

High Speed Two Between Lichfield And Crewe Only Saves An Extra Twelve Minutes

It appears that extending High Speed Two to Crewe only saves an extra twelve minutes.

But it will also have these benefits.

High Speed Two Full-Size trains will be able to run to Crewe.

High Speed Two will also add eighteen tph to the capacity between London and Crewe.

Savings From Scrapping High Speed Two Between Lichfield And Crewe

In addition to the savings of the scrapping of the line, I suspect that any modifications to Crewe station will be much simpler.

I wonder how much will be saved by not building High Speed Two to Crewe.

Could The High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield And Crewe Still Be Built?

This is the question I asked in the title.

We know the benefits of building High Speed Two and as time progresses we’ll know the costs and the disruption the building will cause with an increasing accuracy.

I also believe that even High Speed Two Lite will be a rip-roaring success, and other places will want their own High Speed Two service, which will need an increase in capacity North of Lichfield.

So there will come a point, when there is an overwhelming case to build the High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield and Crewe.

Because of that we must make sure, that any sales of land or properties, doesn’t compromise building the High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield and Crewe.

Conclusion

There will come a point, when the amount of traffic, will mean that it is worth building the High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield and Crewe.

My other conclusion is important and the route of the originally proposed High Speed Two Link Between Lichfield and Crewe, must not be compromised.

October 6, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Could Manchester Airport Be Accessed From The West By A Tunnel Under The M56?

This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways of East London between Dalston Junction and Stratford International stations.

Note.

  1. Dalston Kingsland station is marked with an arrow in the West of the map.
  2. Stratford International station is marked by the blue lettering in the East of the map.
  3. The orange line between them is the North London Line.
  4. There are also two pink lines, which indicate High Speed One, which is dug several metres below the North London Line.

It can’t be much different to dig a high speed railway underneath a motorway. Has anybody done this?

This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways leading to Manchester Airport.

Note.

  1. Junctions 5 and 6 of the M56 motorway are on the Western edge of the Airport.
  2. The red tracks are the Styal Line.
  3. The mauve tracks are the Metrolink.
  4. It should be noted that railway lines pass under Heathrow Airport’s runways.

Point 4 makes me sure, that Manchester Airport can have a station connected to the West by a railway under the M56.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the railways around Weaver Junction on the West Coast Main Line, where the trains branch off to Liverpool.

Note.

  1. The West Coast Main Line goes down the Eastern side of the map.
  2. Warrington Bank Quay is the next station to the North.
  3. The Liverpool Branch goes off to the West.
  4. The M56 tuns diagonally across the map from the North-East corner crossing both both branches of the West Coast Main Line.

This Google Map shows where the M56 crosses over the West Coast Main Line to Warrington Bank Quay.

Note.

  1. The M56 motorway is obvious.
  2. The Eastbound motorway goes to Manchester Airport and Manchester.
  3. The junction is numbered 11.
  4. The railway runs down the Western side of the map.

I believe that it would be possible to connect a railway running East under the motorway to the West Coast Main Line.

This Google Map shows where the M56 crosses over the Liverpool branch of the West Coast Main Line.

Note.

  1. There is no motorway junction here.
  2. The North-East bound motorway goes to Manchester Airport and Manchester.
  3. The railway runs slightly diagonally across the bottom of the map.
  4. The Westbound railway goes to Runcorn and Liverpool.
  5. The Eastbound railway goes to Weaver Junction, Crewe and the South.

There would only need to be a connection between Liverpool and the railway under the motorway going to and from Manchester Airport.

I have some further thoughts and questions.

This Is Just My First Thought

I am happier about the connection to the Liverpool branch than the Northern connection.

But then I feel there are several routes at both junctions, some of which will take a wider route.

How Long Will The Tunnels Be?

Between Junctions 11 and 6 on the M56 is 16 miles.

At What Speed Would The Trains Run?

I suspect that once on the straight section between Junctions 11 and 6, speeds of up to 90 or 100 mph should be possible, but speeds would probably be lower at the junctions to the West Coast Main Line.

How Would It Connect To Manchester Piccadilly?

The tunnel would continue the other side of the Airport and it’s a further 9.4 miles to under Manchester Piccadilly.

In The Rival Plans For Piccadilly Station, That Architects Say Will ‘Save Millions’, I wrote about Weston Williamson’s plan for Manchester Piccadilly station.

This was their visualisation.

Note.

  1. In the visualisation, you are observing the station from the East.
  2. The existing railway lines into Piccadilly station are shown in red.
  3. Stockport and Manchester Airport are to the left, which is to the South.
  4. Note the dreaded Castlefield Corridor in red going off into the distance to Oxford Road and Deansgate stations.
  5. The new high speed lines are shown in blue.
  6. To the left they go to Manchester Airport and then on to London, Birmingham and the South, Warrington and Liverpool and Wigan, Preston, Blackpool, Barrow-in-Furness, the North and Scotland.
  7. To the right, they go to Huddersfield, Bradford, Leeds, Hull and the North East, and Sheffield, Doncaster and the East.
  8. Between it looks like  a low-level High Speed station with at least four tracks and six platforms.
  9. The high speed lines could be oriented so they ran East-West, rather than North-South in this visualisation.
  10. The Manchester Metrolink is shown in yellow.

The potential for over-site development is immense. If the Station Square Tower was residential, the penthouses would be some of the most desirable places to live in the North.

Onward From Manchester Piccadilly

I would hope that a connection could be made to the Huddersfield Line to the East of Manchester Piccadilly station, so that trains could use the TransPennine Upgrade all the way to Leeds.

 

 

October 6, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Is Six Platforms Enough At Euston For High Speed Two?

In this article in The Times, which is entitled What Is The New HS2 Route? The UK’s High-Speed Rail Network Mapped, this is said.

Sunak said a new six-platform station at Euston would save £6.5 billion compared with HS2’s vision of an 11-platform scheme.

But would it be possible to operate a full service with just six platforms?

This graphic shows High Speed Two services, as proposed by HS2 after Phase 2b opens.

Note.

  1. Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
  2. Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  3. Each service will run once an hour.
  4. There are seventeen services that terminate at Euston in every hour.
  5. Eight are High Speed Two Full Size trains, which are 400 metres long.
  6. Four are single High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains, which are 200 metres long.
  7. Five are pairs of High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains, which are 400 metres long.

I have a few thoughts.

The Capacity of High Speed Two

High Speed Two has been designed to have a capacity of eighteen trains per hour (tph).

That means it should be able to handle the seventeen tph to and from Euston.

Six Platforms Would Mean That Each Platform Would Handle Three tph

That is just simple arithmetic.

But could each platform handle three tph?

There are several places in the UK, where a single platform handles three or even four tph.

But these are generally smaller stations handling smaller trains.

I believe that with passenger entry to the platforms from both ends, as there is at King’s Cross, London Bridge and Manchester Piccadilly, that twenty minutes between trains should be possible.

What Happens If It Goes Wrong?

Occasionally trains fail, platforms get blocked or something more serious happens, which in the case of the HS2 Euston station would reduce the number of platforms available to five.

One of these actions could be taken.

Some Trains Can Terminate At Old Oak Common Station

Old Oak Common station is proposed to have six high speed platforms, so four platforms could be used to terminate trains in cases of trouble.

Two Services Run Using Single High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  Trains Could Share A Platform

This would work as the platforms are designed to accept a pair of these trains.

Platforms 17 And 18 At The Current Euston Station Could Be Used In An Emergency?

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the tracks and platforms at Euston station.

Note.

  1. Each red track is an electrified platform, with its number alongside.
  2. Platforms 17 and 18 are on the Western side.
  3. The pink tracks are London Underground lines.
  4. The dotted red and grey track down the Western side is the High Speed Two tracks.

Would it be possible to connect the High Speed Two tracks to Platforms 17 and 18 for use in an emergency?

I think it would be.

Conclusion

I believe that it’s possible to design a six-platform station to handle all the High Speed Two traffic at Euston.

October 6, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , | 5 Comments

High Speed Two Lite

Posts that relate to Rishi Sunak’s cut-back High Speed Two will be tagged with High Speed Two Lite.

These are the current list of posts.

Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?

Could Manchester Airport Be Accessed From The West By A Tunnel Under The M56?

High Speed Two To Barrow-in-Furness

High Speed Two To Blackpool

High Speed Two To Crewe

High Speed Two To Holyhead

High Speed Two To Lancaster

High Speed Two To Liverpool

High Speed Two To Manchester

High Speed Two To Stoke-on-Trent

High Speed Two To Wigan

Is Six Platforms Enough At Euston For High Speed Two?

Will High Speed Two Lite Make Stafford An Important Station?

October 5, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , | 6 Comments

High Speed Two To Stoke-on-Trent

Some of you out there might be a bit worried after Rishi Sunak’s speech today, when he announced he’d cancelled High Speed Two, as you might be losing a future high speed service.

Currently, Stoke-on-Trent is served by two trains per hour (tph), that run between London and Manchester Piccadilly.

  • One train calls at Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Macclesfield and Stockport, and takes about 1:33 to Stoke and 2:12 to Manchester Piccadilly.
  • The other calls at Nuneaton and Stockport, and takes about 1:30 to Stoke and 2:06 to Manchester Piccadilly.
  • Trains are both 9-car and 11-car Class 390 trains or Pendolinos.
  • All trains go via Colwich.

This map shows the  Colwich, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.

Note.

  1. Electrified lines are shown in red.
  2. The line across the South-West corner of the map is the West Coast Main Line.
  3. Stafford is the Northern end of the Trent Valley Line, which runs East along the bottom of the map.
  4. The Trent Valley Line, which is a by-pass of the West Coast Main Line, rejoins that line at Rugby.
  5. Stoke-on-Trent is in the North-West corner of the map.
  6. Colwich is in the South-East corner of the map and is marked by a blue arrow.
  7. There are two routes between Stone-on-Trent and Colwich; the more-direct Northern route and a Southern route via Stafford.

The current services between London and Stoke-on-Trent use the more-direct Northern route, although they can take the Southern route via Stafford.

This must mean that as Stoke-on-Trent services take the Northern route, there are more paths through Stafford for West Coast Main Line services to and from Liverpool, Manchester and Scotland.

This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.

Note.

  1. Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
  2. Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  3. Each of these trains will have a frequency of one tph.

The third High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  train from the left is a London and Macclesfield service, which will stop at Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent, has the following timings from London.

  • Stafford – 0:55 – 22 minutes faster
  • Stoke-on-Trent – 1:10 – 14 minutes faster
  • Macclesfield – 1:30 – 11 minutes faster

I have a few thoughts and questions.

How Does This High Speed Two Service Get To And From London?

The service goes through Stafford and then takes the Trent Valley Line to the South.

This map clipped from the HS2 site, shows the original layout of HS2 to the North and East of Lichfield.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two runs North-South across the map.
  2. After the Junction by Fradley South, the now-scrapped High Speed Two to Crewe and the North, is the branch to the East.
  3. The other branch connects to the Trent Valley Line, which can be picked out North of Lichfield, where it passes through Lichfield Trent Valley station.
  4. The Trent Valley Line goes North-West through Colwich to Stafford, where the line rejoins the West Coast Main Line.

As the Eastern branch North from the junction has been scrapped, all trains between London and North would go via this link between High Speed Two at Lichfield and Trent Valley Line through Stafford.

Can The Current Trains and the High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  Trains Share Tracks?

The answer will be yes, as the High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains have been designed to share tracks with existing trains.

Full digital signalling may be needed to enable 140 mph running and more paths on the classic lines.

Will There Be A Second High Speed Two Service To Stoke-On-Trent And Stafford?

One of the problems with High Speed Two is that it won’t call at stations in the Midlands that are currently served by Avanti West Coast.

  • Currently, stations with an Avanti call are Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton and Rugby.
  • Avanti’s second Liverpool service will call at Tamworth and Lichfield Trent Valley.
  • In the June 2023 Edition of Modern Railways, Avanti’s Managing Director; Andy Mellors talks about the benefits the company accrues from stopping in the Midlands.

I believe that after High Speed Two opens, that a semi-fast service could run between London and Manchester.

  • It would be run by a Class 390 train or Pendolino.
  • It would use the route currently used by Manchester services via Stoke-on-Trent.
  • At the Southern end, it would terminate in London Euston.
  • It could call at Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Lichfield Trent Valley, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield and Stockport.
  • ,Station stops would be arranged as to need.
  • A one stop service to London takes 90 minutes from Stoke-on-Trent, with a two-stopper taking 93 minutes, so does each stop with a Pendolino add three minutes to the journey time?

Such a service could be developed to give stations like Stoke-on-Trent a second service to London.

The Lines Around Stafford

This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the lines around Stafford.

Note.

  1. Red lines are electrified.
  2. Black Lines are not.
  3. Stafford is marked by the blue arrow.

Selective electrification could probably improve connectivity by a large margin.

This Google map shows Stafford station.

I feel that Stafford station could be developed into a major interchange between High Speed Two and local services.

Conclusion

It looks to me that Stoke-on-Trent will be well-served by High Speed Two.

See Also

Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?

High Speed Two To Crewe

High Speed Two To Holyhead

High Speed Two To Lancaster

High Speed Two To Liverpool

High Speed Two To Manchester

High Speed Two To Wigan

 

 

 

 

October 5, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

High Speed Two To Holyhead

Rishi Sunak has just announced that the North Wales Main Line will be electrified, along with the cancellation of further phases of High Speed Two.

I have written about this topic before in Could High Speed Two Serve Holyhead?.

In that post, I started with this question and answer.

Why?

It could be a way to create a zero- or low-carbon route between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland.

In Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?, I discussed, what might happen if the Birmingham to Manchester leg of High Speed Two were to be scrapped.

This was my main conclusion.

I strongly believe that an upgraded Trent Valley Line linked to a shortened High Speed Two at Lichfield could improve journey times between London, Birmingham and the North.

As the current Holyhead services will pass this junction between the Trent Valley Line and High Speed Two, there is no reason, why they couldn’t take High Speed Two to and from London, if the service was run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible Trains.

These are further thoughts.

Timings

These would be the times in hours:minutes.

  • Bangor – 2:42
  • Chester – 1:28
  • Holyhead – 3:10
  • Llandudno Junction – 2:24

Currently, Holyhead is three hours and forty-five minutes.

Would the Electrification Be Full Or Partial Between Crewe And Holyhead?

This question will be increasingly asked about electrification.

Consider.

  • CAF, Hitachi, Siemens and Stadler are all developing battery-electric technology for trains.
  • The UK’s first battery-electric train service goes into service tomorrow between Liverpool and Headbolt Lane station.
  • Freight locomotives are increasingly being ordered with both electric and diesel power.
  • Some of the castles, countryside and other monuments wouldn’t be enhanced, with lots of overhead electrification.

I think it is likely, that electrification will increasingly have gaps for visual, technical or heritage reasons.

Electrification of the North Wales Coast Line with other small improvements could probably reduce the journey time between London and Holyhead to around three hours.

Would There Be Enough Paths On The Trent Valley Line And High Speed Two?

This graphic shows High Speed Two services after Phase 2b is completed.

Note.

  1. Services shown in blue are run by High Speed Two Full Size trains.
  2. Services shown in yellow are run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  3. There are a total of 23 train paths of which eleven would need to go along the Trent Valley Line.
  4. The three London-Manchester services and the two Birmingham-Manchester services would have to be run by High Speed Two Classic-Compatible  trains.
  5. The second Liverpool train is only a single train, but it could be a pair, that split at Crewe, with one train going to Liverpool and the other to Chester and North Wales.
  6. All the Avanti West Coast services, currently using the Trent Valley Line would probably be replaced by High Speed Two services.

There would have to be a bit of reorganising, but I suspect an hourly path could be found for a train between London and Holyhead.

A Fast Green Route To The Emerald Isle

Electrification of the North Wales Coast Line with other small improvements could probably reduce the journey time between London and Holyhead to around three hours.

This service could be paired with a fast zero-carbon ferry to the island of Ireland?

Conclusion

I am fairly sure that an HS2 service to Holyhead could be run, once the North Wales Coast Line is electrified.

See Also

Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?

High Speed Two To Crewe

High Speed Two To Lancaster

High Speed Two To Liverpool

High Speed Two To Manchester

High Speed Two To Stoke-on-Trent

High Speed Two To Wigan

October 4, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Could High Speed Two Finish At Lichfield?

I wrote this post before Rishi Sunak made his speech.

I went to Manchester and Liverpool yesterday by train.

I took the 10:33 from Euston and this a summary of my journey.

  • The train left Euston half a minute early.
  • It arrived at Stafford (133.5 miles) at 11:50 and left at 11:52.
  • It arrived at Crewe (158.0 miles) at 12:08 and left at 12.10.
  • It arrived at Wilmslow (176.9 miles) at 12:25 and left at 12:27.
  • It arrived at Stockport (183.0 miles) at 12:35 and left at 12:37.
  • It arrived in Manchester Piccadilly (188.9 miles) at 12:46.
  • It was two minutes late into Manchester and more or less on time at the other stops.

Note.

  1. The route was via the Trent Valley Line and the train passed through Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Colwich and Stafford.
  2. Euston and Manchester had been timetabled at two hours and eleven minutes.
  3. This is an average speed of 86.5 mph.
  4. The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives the fastest time before High Speed Two opens as one hour and fifty-four minutes.
  5. This will be an average speed of 99.4 mph.

Coming home, I took the 18:48 from Liverpool Lime Street and this a summary of my journey.

  • The train left Liverpool on time.
  • It arrived at Runcorn (13.2 miles) at 18:58 and left at 19:02.
  • It arrived at Crewe (35.8 miles) at 19:26 and left at 19:28.
  • It arrived at Milton Keynes (143.8 miles) at 20:27 and left at 20:29.
  • It arrived in Euston (183.6 miles) at 21:00.
  • It was five minutes late into Crewe and two minutes early at Euston.

Note.

  1. The route was via the Trent Valley Line and the train passed through Stafford, Colwich, Lichfield Trent Valley, Tamworth and Nuneaton.
  2. Liverpool and Euston had been timetabled at two hours and twenty minutes.
  3. This is an average speed of 78.7 mph.
  4. The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives the fastest time before High Speed Two opens as two hours and three minutes.
  5. This will be an average speed of 89.6 mph.

This map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows the junction North of Lichfield, where High Speed Two connects to the Trent Valley Line through Stafford.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two runs North-South across the map.
  2. After the Junction by Fradley South, High Speed Two to Crewe and the North, is the branch to the East.
  3. The other branch connects to the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre junction.
  4. Trent Valley Line can be picked out North of Lichfield, where it passes through Lichfield Trent Valley station.

The Trent Valley Line is no Victorian double-track slow-speed bottleneck.

  • The route between Rugby and Crewe is generally three or four tracks, with only one short stretch of double track, through Shugborough tunnel.
  • The speed limit is generally 110 mph, with 90 mph at Shugborough.
  • I wouldn’t be surprised to see Avanti West Coast’s Class 390 and Class 807 trains could be running at up to 140 mph on the route, if digital signalling were to be installed.
  • This speed would probably be attained by High Speed Two trains.

London Euston and Stafford would only have under twenty miles of slower line and that could be 140 mph, so High Speed Two  times on the route could be very fast.

This second map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows between High Speed Two’s two Birmingham stations and Lichfield.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two Phases 1 and 2a are shown in blue.
  2. High Speed Two Phase 2b is shown in orange.
  3. At the top of the map, can be seen the junction, where High Speed Two to the North splits, that was shown in the previous map.
  4. The large blue dot in the West at the bottom of the map, is Birmingham Curzon Street station.
  5. The other large blue dot is Birmingham International station.
  6. The three sections of High Speed Two to London, Birmingham Curzon Street and the North meet at a triangular junction between the two Birmingham stations.
  7. High Speed Two to the East Midlands, branches off to the East North of the triangular junction.

This third map clipped from the High Speed Two web site, shows between Lichfield and Crewe.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two Phase 2a is shown in blue.
  2. High Speed Two Phase 2b is shown in orange.
  3. Crewe is in the North-West corner of the map, where at the South end of the orange section.
  4. The junction at Lichfield is in the South-East corner of the map.
  5. The lighter blue route to the East, between the Lichfield junction and Crewe is the new tracks of High Speed Two.
  6. The darker blue route to the West, between the Lichfield junction and Crewe is the existing route of the Trent Valley Line and the West Coast Main Line.
  7. The Trent Valley Line joins the West Coast Main Line at Stafford.

These are a few thoughts and questions.

How Will Trains Go Between Birmingham Curzon Street And London?

Trains will use the triangular junction shown in the second map to go between the two Birmingham stations and then head South,

How Will Trains Go Between Birmingham Curzon Street And The North?

Trains will use the triangular junction shown in the second map to turn North and then take one of the two routes to the North; High Speed Two or Trent Valley Line/West Coast Main Line.

How Will Trains Go Between Birmingham Curzon Street And The North If High Speed Two Between Birmingham And The North Is Scrapped?

If High Speed Two is scrapped from the Northern point of the triangular junction to the North, there will be no way that trains could go North from Birmingham Curzon Street.

  • The overcrowded Birmingham New Street station will still be the link to the North of England and Scotland for Birmingham.
  • How would trains connect to the future branch to East Midlands Parkway, which connects just North of the triangular junction?

I suspect that a short stub will be built North of the triangular junction to connect to the Trent Valley Line, which is currently, the main route of trains between London and the North through the West Midlands, for trains that don’t go through Birmingham.

Trains Between London And Stafford

Currently, Avanti West Coast trains take around one hour and seventeen minutes between London and Stafford.

The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two gives these times between London and Stafford.

  • Fastest time before High Speed Two – one hour and seventeen minutes.
  • Time after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens – fifty-five minutes.

Note.

That is a time saving of twenty-two minutes.

High Speed Two Trains will use the link between the junction at Lichfield and the Trent Valley Line.

How Many Avanti West Coast Services Use The Trent Valley Line?

These trains use the Trent Valley Line.

  • London and Holyhead – 8 tpd
  • London and Liverpool Lime Street – 1 tph, which is planned to increase to 2 tph
  • London and Manchester Piccadilly – 2 tph
  • London and Blackpool North – 1 tpd
  • London and Glasgow – 1 tph

Note.

  1. tpd is trains per day
  2. tph is trains per hour

This is roughly six tph.

Would It Be Possible To Finish High Speed Two At The Lichfield Junction And Connect It To The Trent Valley Line?

This is a repeat of the first map.

Note.

  1. High Speed Two runs North-South across the map.
  2. After the Junction by Fradley South, High Speed Two to Crewe and the North, is the branch to the East.
  3. The other branch connects to the Trent Valley Line at Handsacre junction.
  4. Trent Valley Line can be picked out North of Lichfield, where it passes through Lichfield Trent Valley station.

If the Eastern branch North from the junction were to be scrapped, all trains between London and North would go via Stafford.

As all these tracks are planned and must be at an advanced stage, that is ready for construction, I feel the route would be feasible.

It would have these benefits.

  • Birmingham Curzon Street services and the North-West of England and the West of Scotland would be possible.
  • Services between London and Stafford will be twenty-two minutes faster, than they are now.
  • Time savings will also apply to services from London to Liverpool, Macclesfield, Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and all stations between Crewe and Glasgow.

The capacity of the Trent Valley Line would be the limiting factor.

Time Savings Between Crewe And Preston

According to the Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens, these will be the fastest times to Crewe and Preston.

  • Crewe – 0:56
  • Preston 1:18

Note.

  1. The fastest Preston service runs non-stop between Euston and Preston.
  2. Crewe and Preston are 51 miles apart.

A time of 22 minutes between Crewe and Preston, means the average speed is 139 mph.

Does this mean that High Speed Two will improve between Crewe and Preston to allow 140 mph non-stop running?

But 22 minutes is certainly an improvement on the current time between Crewe and Preston for Scottish trains of 40 minutes.

Time Savings Between Crewe And Liverpool

The upgrading of the line between might save another couple of minutes between Crewe and Weaver junction.

What Times Would Be Possible Via High Speed Two And The Trent Valley Line?

These times are based on the following.

  • The twenty-two minute saving to Stafford, as all High Speed Two services to the North-West of England and the West of Scotland will go via Phase 1 of High Speed Two and Stafford.
  • A saving of eighteen minutes will be applied to Scottish services because of savings between Crewe and Preston.

This would give these times in hours:minutes.

  • Blackpool – 2:10
  • Carlisle – 2:35
  • Chester – 1:28
  • Crewe – 1:08
  • Glasgow – 3:50
  • Holyhead – 3:10
  • Lancaster – 2:03
  • Liverpool Lime Street – 1:41
  • Llandudno Junction – 2:24
  • Macclesfield – 1:30
  • Manchester Piccadilly via Crewe – 1:52
  • Oxenholme – 1:54
  • Preston – 1:46
  • Runcorn 1:31
  • Stafford – 0:55
  • Stockport – 1:35
  • Stoke-on-Trent – 1:10
  • Warrington – 1:22
  • Wigan 1:33
  • Wilmslow – 1:25

I have calculated extra services to Blackpool and North Wales.

Adding The Lichfield And Crewe Section

Consider.

  • My calculations indicate that London and Crewe will take 1:08.
  •  The Wikipedia entry for High Speed Two, after Phase 2a of High Speed Two opens, gives the fastest time to Crewe as 0:56.

This indicates that adding the section of High Speed Two between Lichfield and Crewe will save a further twelve minutes.

Conclusion

I strongly believe that an upgraded Trent Valley Line linked to a shortened High Speed Two at Lichfield could improve journey times between London, Birmingham and the North.

There are certainly savings to be made.

See Also

High Speed Two To Crewe

High Speed Two To Holyhead

High Speed Two To Lancaster

High Speed Two To Liverpool

High Speed Two To Manchester

High Speed Two To Wigan

October 4, 2023 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

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