Track11 High Speed 2 Plan
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The Track11 High Speed 2 plan is a variant of High Speed 2 designed to bring greater benefits sooner while avoiding
the most environmentally sensitive parts of the route.
Unlike the High Speed UK plan, which was based on a completely different route, the Track11 HS2 plan is, for most of its
length, exactly the same as the official HS2 plan (developed by HS2 Ltd and its precursors); it only differs when there
is a clear advantage to doing so. However although Track11 rejects HSUK's solution, Track11 has accepted
and
responded to HSUK's criticism of HS2.
The first phase of the Track11 High Speed 2 plan differs from the
official High Speed 2 plan in four very important (but related)
ways:
• The official High Speed 2 plan eats into the benefits of high
speeds by having every single train stop at Old Oak Common; the
Track11 High Speed 2 plan does not feature an Old Oak Common stop as
the costs of detouring to Old Oak Common would greatly outweigh the
benefits.
• The Track11 HS2 line would avoid the controversial route through
the Chilterns.
• The official High Speed 2 plan runs right into London from
the start. The Track11 plan initially uses the West Coast Main Line between Euston
and Tring, as it recognises that the WCML does still have some spare
capacity, and because High Speed 2 will serve the same market as the
WCML, freeing up WCML capacity is not a priority. Importantly, this
decision means that the Track11 HS2 line could be operational
sooner, and more resources could be devoted to other railway
improvements in London unrelated to HS2.
• The official High Speed 2 plan allows the objective of serving
Heathrow to distort its plans for the line into London; the Track11
plan recognises that Heathrow and Central London are different
destinations best served in different ways, and that HS2
construction would be a great opportunity to link Heathrow and
Gatwick.
Some of the lines on this web page were derived from KML data
that has been generated by www.thehs2.com. The KML uses data which was obtained from a shape file
provided by the Department for Transport and released with an Open Government Licence.
Key to Map
HS2 stages are depicted according to heading colour, which generally runs from orange-red through purple and blue to
aqua in rough order of construction. Stations on the high speed line are shown in white.
New bored tunnels are shown in black and new green tunnels (cut and cover tunnels constructed for
environmental reasons)
in bright green.
Where the stage involves existing lines, they are shown in grey.
New conventional lines used by Aiport Link
trains are shown in pink,
other new passenger lines in light orange,
and new freight lines in light green.
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The Objectives
• To avoid the need to construct a new high speed railway across
the Chilterns
• To enable the easiest to construct section of HS2 to open sooner
The Route
From Tring station the line would run in cutting adjacent to the
WCML, crossing under the WCML adjacent to the northern end of the
Pitstone Quarry SSSI as it transitions to a 7km radius curve
westwards. Crossing under the Lower Icknield Way (possibly in green tunnel,
but a cutting may suffice) it would emerge onto a viaduct to cross the Grand Union
Canal and the adjacent valley. A short green tunnel would be used
to minimize erosion and visual impact around Southend Hill. After
crossing over Long Marston Road (which would be lowered slightly)
the line would run to the north of the buildings of Betlow Farm,
then between those of Broadmead Farm and Alnwick Farm. There would
be a short tunnel just south of Wingrave; due to the presence of a
Pond near Tring Road, a bored tunnel is likely to be the best
option.
North of Rowsham the line would be in cutting, and would go under
the A418. Between Rowsham and Weedon the line would transition to
a 7km radius curve in the other direction. The A413 would be
lowered to enable the line to bridge it north of the Fields Farm
buildings. Crossing the northern end of an island in a minor
tributary of the Thame, the line would continue, mostly on
viaduct, across the road, another minor watercourse, and the Great
Central line, reaching ground level near the Lower Blackgrove Farm
buildings. Crossing under Midshires Way, the line would remain in
cutting until west of Lapstone House. Passing on the northern side
of the sewage works, it would join stage B just west of Quainton
Road.
Operations
Stages A and B would open together; they are described separately
because of their very different origins (stage A being entirely
the work of Track11, while stage B is mostly the work of HS2 Ltd
and its precursors).
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The Objectives
• Faster services between London and Birmingham
The Route
As with HS2 Ltd's route, but joining the Aylesbury Vale line at
Quainton and the WCML at Berkswell.
Some minor changes between Quainton and Turweston may be needed to
accommodate the restoration and reduplication of the Great Central
line.
Operations
The completion of stages A and B would immediately cut journey
times between London and Birmingham New Street to under an hour.
High speed trains from Euston would share the fast tracks of the
WCML as far as Tring. From Tring to Quainton a new high speed line
(stage A) would take them across Aylesbury Vale to meet Stage B
(the section of HS2 between Quainton and Berkswell) before
rejoining the WCML (Birmingham branch).
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The Objectives
• To make airport access more convenient for many more people
• To make inter airport transfers more convenient
• To enable airside inter airport transfers by rail
• To gain the connectivity benefits of expanding Heathrow without building another Heathrow runway
• To subsequently link up with more airports and cities via High
Speed 2
• To enable freight trains from the Channel Tunnel to bypass
London
• To construct a continental loading gauge route for freight
The Route
The Heathrow station would be at Terminal 5 (both because that's
where demand is highest and because it's easiest to access) but
there would be good links with free trains (and buses and
eventually trams) to other terminals. Ideally the station would be
located either under the terminal itself or between the terminal
and the car park. If this is not possible or affordable, an
alternative location is immediately west of the car park, but that
would not be so conducive to airside train services.
The line would follow the M25 from south of junction 14 to near
Cobham services. Along the route of the M25 it is more likely that the railway will go on the eastern side,
although Track11 has not investigated that in detail (see note).
There would be a station at Byfleet to interchange with the
existing Byfleet and New Haw station on the South West Main Line.
To improve interchange the existing platforms would be extended on
the western side and truncated on the eastern side.
After diverging from the M25 at Cobham the line would skirt the
southern edge of Down Wood, crossing the stream on a viaduct
before going into a green tunnel south of Spring Meadow Wood.
Emerging east of Bookham Lodge it would start to veer south at
Slyfield Farm, then after crossing the island near River Lane, it
would cross the river south of the cemetery, and go into tunnel
near the north west corner of the Mole Business Park.
Alternatively if that route is too disruptive, it could instead
continue east from Slyfield Farm, crossing the River Mole near the
sewage works and running in tunnel under Randalls Road. Either way
there would be an underground station at Leatherhead, to
interchange with the existing elevated station. The line would
stay in tunnel for another 7km under the North Downs to
Betchworth, emerging near Pebble Hill Road. There would be
ventilation shafts near the B2033 (Reigate Road) and Lodgebottom
Road.
From Betchworth the line would join the existing railway currently
used by the Reading to Gatwick service. It would use the existing
Reigate station. A new curve at Redhill would link it to the
existing main line to Gatwick, and a new link would also be
constructed towards Nutfield to enable the line to be used by
freight trains to and from the Channel Tunnel. At the other end of
the line, instead of running to Heathrow itself the freight line
would use the existing disused line to a new freight terminal at
Poyle or Colnbrook.
The parts of the line used by freight trains would be built to the
continental GC loading gauge.
For Heathrow to Gatwick trains, use of the existing line via Reigate
may eventually be superseded by a more direct railway from
Betchworth to Gatwick, particularly if another Gatwick runway is
constructed.
NOTE:
Where the line follows the M25, its depiction on the map is diagrammatic and not intended to be taken as
a recommended alignment. Some work to determine a suitable alignment along
the M25 corridor has previously been done by the Central Railway company, but Track11 does not currently
have access to the results.
Operations
A train would connect the airports (with three intermediate stops)
every 15 minutes during airport operating hours.
The section from Redhill to north of Staines would become part of
the main freight route to and from the Channel Tunnel.
To provide airside train services, a section at the southern end of each train would be
locked off from the rest. A separate platform section with
platform edge doors would be linked to the airside area of the
airport. The doors of that section would require two different
release signals to open: one each being provided by the platform
edge doors and the driver, and also one from the guard in an
emergency.
Also at the southern end of the train, between the airside section and the driver's cab,
would be a cargo section to accommodate inter-airport luggage. Rather than
carrying it loose, unit load devices would be used to enable rapid loading and unloading.
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The Objectives
• To provide a large capacity terminus both for high speed
trains and other Intercity trains
• To maximize opportunities for interchange with the high speed
line
• To properly cater for Birmingham's future transport needs
The Station
As well as the six terminating (high speed) platforms, eight
platforms would be constructed on the line to New Street.
Because these would be at a much lower elevation than the high
speed platforms, the high speed platforms could extend above
them if necessary. However to avoid diminishing the ambiance of
the station, Track11 recommends locating the high speed
platforms slightly further north (adjacent to the old Curzon
Street station building).
The terminating platforms would be designed to be easily
upgradable to accommodate double decker trains and also very
long trains.
All railway junctions to the east of Curzon Street station would
be grade separated. In addition to the connections to the
Birmingham International line (for initial operation) and the main
HS2 line, provision should be made for portals to enable eventual
construction of cutoff tunnels in the southeast and north
directions to reduce distance and journey time. It is also
suggested that an alignment be reserved so that a pair of high
speed tunnels can be constructed to extend the line beyond
Birmingham if and when the demand eventuates.
Provision would be made in the station design for future tunnels
(for local trains) on a north-south axis.
Moor Street station would also be incorporated into Curzon Street
station.
Operations
High speed trains would terminate at Curzon Street station.
All trains that currently stop at New Street would stop at Curzon
Street.
Services from the west that currently terminate at New Street
would be extended.
All local trains on the New Street lines would stop at both New
Street and Curzon Street.
Whether long distance trains continue to stop at New Street as
well as Curzon Street is a matter for the train operating
companies, but it is likely that many would initially but few
would eventually.
Though Moor Street station would be incorporated into Curzon
Street station, its services would not be directly affected.
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The Objectives
• To construct a faster link with London
• To increase capacity
• To speed up WCML services when capacity permits.
The Route
The tunnel would begin in the Mornington Terrace sidings and run on a
very long transition curve under Hampstead Heath and Brent Cross.
A straight section would run under Queensbury and Stanmore before
curving to surface between the WCML and
Waterfields Way, which may have to be realigned slightly. From
there it would run along the western side (on a 6km radius curve)
to between Radlett Road and Reeds Walk.
The line would follow the WCML through Watford Junction station.
The preferred way of doing so would be to rebuild Watford Junction
station with the slow lines on the outside (with platform faces on
both sides of the Down Slow), the fast lines between them (with
cross platform interchange) and the high speed lines between those
(with no platforms). Cross platform interchange would be
especially valuable if the trains on the slow lines could be
routed onto Crossrail. An alternative would be to keep the station
unaltered and have the high speed lines elevated on the eastern
side. The disadvantage of doing it that way (apart from the
inconvenience to passengers changing trains) is that it would be
more difficult to connect the high speed line to the WCML fast
lines. Either way some tracks would have to run north of the
heritage listed Old Station House unless it is relocated.
NOTE:
An earlier version of this section proposal featured a tunnel portal
in The Hyde and utilized the MML alignment from Hendon to Hampstead.
That is no longer considered a good solution - it would be too disruptive
as the need to accommodate freight would require the line to be
expensively widened through Hendon, and the cost benefits of a connection
further south woud not be sufficient to forego the journey time benefits of a
long tunnel.
Operations
All high speed trains to and from London would use this section.
To get the most value from this route, the ability for
conventional Intercity trains to use it is initially very
important – were they not able to, this section would be a lower
priority than the Berkhamsted bypass tunnel, Hemel Hempstead
section bypass and Watford North Third track pair (stages G, L and
N). But as the high speed line is extended and demand increases,
the opportunities for conventional trains to use it would diminish
until sufficient paths would only be available late at night.
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The Objectives
• To provide sufficient terminal space for HS2 trains when
needed, as well as conventional WCML services
The Station
Rather than requiring an immediate complete rebuild of the station
and surrounds, Track11 takes the view that although nothing should
be done that precludes the eventual rebuilding of Euston station,
greater priority should be given to making the existing
infrastructure more productive. Rather than devoting a significant
amount of valuable station space to local services, most of the
outer suburban services could be diverted onto Crossrail, and the
DC lines diverted underground (possibly forming the basis of a new
Tube line).
Any eventual rebuild must take into account future infrastructure
needs, including multiple Tube and Crossrail lines and even an
east–west high speed line (to relieve the Great Western and South
Western main lines).
Despite its high starting priority, being a long process with a
pace dependent on demand, this stage may be one of the last to be
completed.
Operations
The process would commence when outer suburban services are
diverted onto Crossrail.
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Although this is a high speed section it would not be built to full high speed
standards because all the trains using it would stop at Birmingham International, and stage P will
eventually enable nonstop trains to bypass this section.
The Objectives
• To increase WCML capacity
The Route
Following the existing railway (the WCML Birmingham branch) from Berkswell to north of
Hampton in Arden. This would mostly be achieved by adding a new air of high speed
tracks on the southern side, although to reduce its impact on sensitive areas
including the River Blyth SSSI and Hampton in Arden itself, parts of the existing line
would be shifted northeastwards first.
Operations
Initially all high speed trains would use this section.
All trains using this section would stop at Birmingham International.
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The Objectives
• To extend the high speed section from north of Tring to
south of Berkhamsted
The Route
Along the northeastern side of the railway from the end of the
initial high speed line to Tring station, then curving eastwards
past the southwestern end of the Stool Baulk ancient monument
before going into tunnel. It would emerge in the field next to the
railway between Ivy House Lane and Bullbeggars Lane, from where it
would initially curve to join the WCML (though a later stage would
see it bridge the WCML and Grand Union Canal.
Due to the topography (being in a valley that crosses over the
tunnel's path) some of the sports grounds west of New Road
(Berkhamsted) would be disrupted during construction. The proposed
solution is to raise the ground level there and make a green
tunnel.
This stage runs through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty. However as most of this stage would be in tunnel, the
encroachment would be minimal and very near the existing railway.
Operations
All high speed trains to and from London would use this section.
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Although this is a high speed section it would not be built to full high speed
standards because all the trains using it would stop at Birmingham International, and stage P will
eventually enable nonstop trains to bypass this section.
The Objectives
• To serve Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre
• To provide a good interchange with existing rail services
The Route
Between Hampton in Arden and the M42, the line would diverge from the WCML
and run to Birmingham Airport alongside (and partly above) Bickenhill Lane. The
south end of the station would be near the Vanguard Road / Airport Way roundabout,
and the terminal would be extended to it to enable direct airside train services.
The north end would be between the
people mover (which it would cross above) and the existing railway. To improve
interchange it is suggested the existing station be extended northwestward about 50m.
An intermediate stop would be added to the people mover to better link the high
speed station with the arrivals and departures areas. People could also use it to connect
between high speed and conventional trains, though they may find it quicker
to walk.
It would continue northwards alongside Bickenhill Lane, then continue north requiring a small amount
of property demolition near Blackfirs Lane (though if that is too controversial then there does not appear to
be a technical reason why a tunnel could not be used instead). The line would skirt the western edge
of Birmingham Business Park before rejoining the official HS2 route near the M6.
Operations
On its own this stage would not enable any new services. But in combination with the Heathrow Link
(new conventional line 2) it would give Birmingham airport airside and landside rail links with both Heathrow
and Gatwick, as well as good connections with other train services. In combination with stage J it would enable
high speed trains to reach Birmingham Curzon Street without having to share the Birmingham branch of the
WCML. In combination with stage K it would link the high speed trains with the WCML in the Trent Valley. And
in combination with stage M it would enable high speed services to East Midlands Airport and through to
destinations on the MML.
NOTE:
An alternative option is to cross over to the northeastern side of the
WCML Birmingham branch and extend the four track section to the existing
Birmingham International station,
which would be extended southeastwards. However this would require more
complicated arrangements for an airside connection to the airport, and the connecton
to Stage H would require more extensive earthworks and building demolition.
The other alternative (from HS2 Ltd's plan) of having the Birmingham
Airport station on the bypass line was rejected by Track11
because it would not give sufficiently good interchange with the
existing railway.
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(The letters I and O
have been omitted from stage labelling as they too closely
resemble the numerals 1 and 0)
The Objectives
• To link Gatwick and Heathrow airports with Birmingham
International (and beyond) via HS2
• To make airport access more convenient for many more people
• To enable airside inter airport transfers by rail
The Route
The route for this section is based on the Central Railway plan. A
railway (built to continental loading gauge but not designed for
very high speeds) would run from Heathrow Airport (with a branch
from the nearby freight terminal) alongside the M25 to near the
junction with the M40 (see note), after which it would tunnel to the High
Wycombe line (which would be electrified and enlarged). The trains
would not stop anywhere on that line except High Wycombe itself, so
overtaking facilities would need to be provided, and ultimately it
is envisaged the High Wycombe line would be four tracked.
Using the (currently closed) Great Central route via Wotton, it
would join the existing line (which would be reduplicated) alongside
HS2 to Calvert station, where extra platforms would be added (though
not on the high speed lines). Calvert junction would be upgraded, to
link Calvert station with the north and west as well as the east.
North of Calvert junction there would be an accelerating line on the
western side of HS2 to allow Airport Link trains to reach high
speeds before joining it. Similarly there would be a decelrating
line on the eastern side of HS2 to allow Airport Link trains to
leave it at high speeds. Despite high speed trains not being able to
accelerate as fast as they can brake (due to aerodynamic factors as
well as braking technology) the decelerating line would be longer as
it would be designed to accommodate the Airport Link trains coming
to a complete halt from full speed. Northbound line capacity would
be at less of a premium than southbound line capacity, as apart from
Airport Link trains, the trains would all be from a single origin
with the ability to consistently start each train less than two
minutes after the previous one. Therefore there would be less need
to join the high speed line at full speed.
NOTE:
Where the line follows the M25 and tunnels under Gerrards Cross
its depiction on the map is diagrammatic and not intended to be taken as
a recommended alignment. Some work to determine a suitable alignment along
the M25 corridor and a tunnelled route to link with the Chiltern line
has previously been done by the Central Railway company, but Track11 does not currently
have access to the results.
Operations
The service to from Heathrow to Birmingham International (and
beyond) would be an extension of the Gatwick to Heathrow service.
Between Heathrow and Birmingham Airport there would be two
intermediate stops: High Wycombe and Calvert. The purpose of the
Calvert station would be to provide an interchange with
Oxford-Milton Keynes-Bedford (and eventually Cambridge) trains
(which would be diverted there), as well as London to Aylesbury
trains (which would be extended to terminate there).
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The Objectives
• To provide a high speed route into Birmingham from the South
• To enable high speed trains to run from Birmingham to the North.
The Route
Between Coleshill and Birmingham Curzon Street the line would
be constructed as per the official HS2 plan, though provision
would also be made for tunnels to accommodate a more direct link
should one ever be required.
Operations
This section is intended to be used by all high speed trains to and from Birmingham, although
some of the hgih speed trains linking London and Birmingham may continue to use the WCML
Birmingham branch until stage P opens.
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The Objectives
• To enable HS2 services to replace some longer distance WCML
services
• To avoid the destruction of the ancient woodland near
Rileyhill
The Route
From Coleshill to Lichfield as per the official HS2 plan, then
a 2km radius curve to join the WCML just east of Lichfield Trent
Valley station.
Grade separation of the junction with the WCML would require minor
realignment of the WCML (probably including part of the Lichfield
Trent Valley platform) and realignment of Burton Old Road. It
would also need to cut through the embankment of the A38.
Operations
All western branch high speed trains would use this section.
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The Objectives
• To extend the high speed section from north of Tring to south
of Berkhamsted
The Route
From the southern end of the Berkhamsted bypass tunnel, crossing
the railway, Bullbeggars Lane, the Grand Union Canal/River
Bulbourne and London Road on viaduct before going into cutting.
Crossing the A41 near Upper Bourne End Lane before going into
tunnel. Emerging near Clapgate Farm and onto a viaduct crossing
over Watford Road and the M25 on the northern side of junction 20.
Passing on the western side of North Grove Lock, the line would
cross the Grand Union Canal/River Gade just north of the Bridge
Road Water Works pumping station before converging with the WCML
at Hunton Brigde.
NOTE:
if more capacity is urgently needed, an alternative way of
providing it would be to add another pair of tracks to the WCML
through Kings Langley, Apsley and Hemel Hempstead. Though this
would not enable high speed running (so would delay rather than
eliminate the need for a bypass tunnel) this would be cheaper and
as it would not require a tunnel boring machine, it could be done
in parallel with more other work, enabling complete separation of
high speed and WCML trains sooner.
Operations
All high speed trains to and from London would use this section.
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The Objectives
• To enable freight trains from Colnbrook/Poyle and the Channel
Tunnel to reach DIRFT
The Route
Along the Great Central route from Calvert Junction to Newton
Purcell, then alongside HS2 to Turweston. Straight to Helmdon on a
new route (as the original GCR corridor from Brackley to Helmdon has
been assigned SSSI status).
Operations
It should be noted that the Central Railway consortium did not regard a link to DIRFT as
important, declaring it "too small". But Track11 recognises that it
makes sense to start small and expand as demand increases. If DIRFT becomes inadequate, it could be supplemented
by a new freight terminal in the Barby/Willoughby area.
As well as freight from the Channel Tunnel, the line would also carry some freight to and from the Oxford to Bedford
line.
The line would be designed for freight, and for most of its length it is not envisaged that passenger
services would use it. However at the southern end (adjacent to HS2) there is the option of using it to extend
Aylesbury line services to Brackley, or possibly even Banbury via Brackley (lower) and Farthinghoe.
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The Objectives
• To allow electric trains to run on the Midland Main Line
• To reduce running costs
• To enable Thameslink trains to run further
• To enable through running of HS2 services onto the MML once the
line reaches East Midlands Parkway
The Route
Bedford to Sheffield and Meadowhall, including Derby and Nottingham routes.
Kettering to Oakham
Meadowhall to Doncaster via Rotherham
Meadowhall to Leeds via Barnsley and Wakefield Kirkgate
Operations
There would be a slight reduction in journey times due to the better
performance of electric trains. That, plus the Sparks Effect and the
lower running costs would make it viable to significantly increase
the service frequency.
As the Thameslink service would no longer be confined to the section
south of Bedford, it could be extended to destinations such as
Corby.
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The Objectives
• To enable high speed services from Birmingham to Nottingham,
and airport link services (from Gatwick and Heathrow) to Derby
and beyond
• After high speed line capacity is increased, to also
accommodate high speed trains from London
• To enable EMA passengers to make airside inter airport transfers by rail
to BHX, LHR and LGW
The Route
Before crossing the M1 at Kegworth, the line would be very similar
to the southernmost part of the eastern branch of the official HS2
plan, but a station at East Midlands Airport would be included, as
the official excuse for not including one (the airport isn't used
much at present) is not valid for a railway that's built to serve
future needs.
After crossing the M1 near Kegworth, the line would diverge eastwards from the
high speed route, then curve northwards (at 2km radius) to East Midlands Parkway
station and the MML.
East Midlands Airport Station
Depiction on EMA station on this map is not intended to represent the final design.
The design of East Midlands Airport station would be done in consultation with the airport's owners, and would
depend on what they wanted (and were willing to pay for). But the basic features include platforms on the
high speed lines (including special airside platform sections for
airside train sections), ULD freight handling facilities (for luggage), an airside connection to the terminal and a landside
connection to the terminal. One possible way of accomplishing this involves rebuilding parts of the terminal nearer
(or even on top of) the station. If this is not done by the time it opens, a covered link to the existing
terminal buildings would be needed.
A complication is that unlike Birmingham and Manchester airports, where the terminals are north of the runways,
the EMA terminal is south of its runway. Because of this, the southern end of the station (where the airside
passenger and luggage handling facilities would be) is further away from the terminal than the rest of the
station is. One way of addressing that is to use travelators; another is to extend the station northwards under
the apron so passengers wouldn't have so far to walk.
So as not to consume too much line capacity, the platforms would be on sidings connected at each
end and a pair of platformless tracks through the middle would enable non stop
high speed trains to overtake stopped ones. Because of this, the station would be built in a box cut instead
of a tunnel, though a tunnel would still be needed for the line to cross under the runway. It is possible that
a tunnel may also be the best option for crossing under the A453 (Ashby Road) southwest of the station.
East Midlands Parkway Station
High speed trains would use new pair of platforms
(south of the existing car park) on a straight section between the
existing platforms and the island in the River Soar. The straight section would
extend onto the island so as to limit complications if the station ever needs to be extended. However it is
unlikely the station will need to be extended in the forseeable future
because (apart from the Airport Link trains with an airside section which passengers
would only board and alight from at airport stations) train length at this station would be constrained
by the length of exisiting stations on the MML.
At the north end of the station, a 400m radius curve would
connect the high speed line to the Midland Main Line.
The station car park would need to be enlarged, and the roads to it and the river would need to be realigned.
Operations
Trains from Birmingham would run to Nottingham via East Midlands
Airport and East Midlands Parkway.
Airport Link trains from Birmingham International would run to
Derby via East Midlands Airport and East Midlands Parkway.
Once HST stage N opens, trains from London would run to Sheffield
via East Midlands Airport, East Midlands Parkway, Derby and
Chesterfield. Some may continue on to Leeds via Barnsley and
Wakefield Kirkgate.
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The Objectives
• To greatly increase capacity on the high speed line
• To enable high speed running between Watford and Tring
The Route
Adjacent to the existing tracks (preferably between the track
pairs at the south end). The high speed tunnel would extend
further south than the existing Watford Tunnels and be at a lower
elevation so that the line could cross beneath the existing
western tunnel.
Operations
This section would complete the high speed line between London and Birmingham International
so high speed trains would no longer be constrained by WCML operations. This would enable many more high speed
trains to run to London, enabling high speed services between London and the East Midlands. It would
also release a lot of capacity on the WCML.
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The Objectives
• To take advantage of freed up WCML capacity
• To simplify MML services
• To provide more people with an alternative to using the M1
The Route
Mostly alongside the M1 and on the old Great Central trackbed, with
a station at Lutterworth. Joining the Birmingham to Leicester line
between the M1 and the former Great Central.
Operations
Taking advantage of WCML capacity freed up by HS2, a regular
(probably half hourly) Intercity service would operate from Euston
to Leicester, stopping at Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central,
Northampton and Lutterworth. These may continue along the MML to
destinations such as Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.
Freight from DIRFT (and from Poyle/Colnbrook and the Channel Tunnel)
would also use this line to access the MML so it is recommended the
line be constructed to GC loading gauge to avoid the need for a more
expensive upgrade in future.
It is envisaged that the railfreight network north of Leicester will
be similar to the HSUK plan. However Track11 has not examined in
detail what route the freight would take beyond Leicester as it
would be of little relevance to HS2 operations.
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The Objectives
• To enable trains from London to Birmingham and The North to
save time by bypassing Birmingham Airport
The Route
From Berkswell to Coleshill as per the official HS2 plan, but
without a station.
Operations
All high speed trains linking London and Birmingham would use this
section, as would most of the longer distance services to and from
London.
After this stage opens, all London to Birmingham trains would run
via Coleshill. As the line would then be continental loading gauge
all the way from London to Birmingham, double decker trains could
be used for the service linking Britain's two largest cities.
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The Objectives
• To reduce journey times to destinations including Manchester,
Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh
• To increase capacity by separating high speed services from
normal WCML services south of Crewe
The Route
As per the official HS2 plan as far as Basford, but staying on the
surface to Crewe station.
Crewe station would be rebuilt with the high speed tracks running
straight through the middle, with sufficient clearances for them
not to have to slow down. Adjacent to that on each side would be a
track with a platform for high speed trains to stop. More tracks
each side would accommodate other trains. It is suggested that
each of these tracks have a platform face on each side to make
interchange more convenient.
The junctions both north and south of the station would be fully
grade separated, with the Chester and Shrewsbury lines crossing
over the WCML and high speed lines, and the Wilmslow and Stoke
lines crossing under.
Operations
Nearly all western branch high speed trains would use this
section, the exceptions being those that serve Stafford or Stoke
which would continue to use the connection to the WCML at
Lichfield.
NOTE:
Being one of the longest sections, this stage could be split in
two if necessary, connecting with the WCML where the line crosses
it south of Madeley. However as this stage involves little
tunnelling and has a very large potential workforce within
commuting distance, there is unlikely to be much reason to do so.
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The Objectives
• To reduce journey times between Yorkshire and
London/Birmingham
The Route
Similar to the official HS2 route.
A 4km radius curve at Worsbrough would link the high speed line
with the existing railway.
Toton Station
Although the East Midlands Hub station would still be included on the high speed line, its imprtance would be
diminsihed because of the trains leaving the high speed line to directly serve Nottingham, Derby and
East Midlands Parkway, and the high speed line would also have a station at East Midlands Airport.
Hence the grandiose name “East Midlands Hub” would be inappropriate; instead the name “Toton” is used in
the Track11 plan.
But despite not being the main hub for the East Midlands, Toton station would have a significant catchment
area for trains to London and Birmingham, and a bigger catchment area for trains to northern England, especially
after the later stages open.
The station would be served directly by Nottingham trams. The main vehicular access would be via a pair of
parallel roads to Brian Clough Way (the A52); there would also be access via Bessell Lane. Additional pedestrian
access to the east and west would be provided at the southern end of the station.
Sheffield Meadowhall Station
On the high speed lines, this would be constructed as per HS2 Ltd's plans. But some changes would be made
on the conventional lines to improve interchange, including realignment of the Barnsley lines.
Operations
Leeds would gain nonstop services to London via HS2 as well as
services stopping at East Midlands Airport, Toton, Meadowhall,
Barnsley and Wakefield (Kirkgate). It would also have HS2 services
to Birmingham.
High speed trains to Sheffield via Derby would terminate there instead of
continuing to Leeds.
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The Objectives
• To serve Manchester Airport
• To enable faster services to Manchester
The Route
Through northern Crewe this stage would run alongside the WCML then use a tunnel to
the eastern pair of tracks
(although as high speed tunnels are expensive, consideration should be given to putting the WCML
tracks in tunnel instead). It would then follow HS2 Ltd's route as far as the junction at High Leigh
but would closely follow the M56 eastwards
from junction 7 instead of curving south. Continuing eastwards
when the M56 curves northwards to junction 6, it would tunnel
under the airport to serve the terminals directly (and
interchanging with the existing railway station) before connecting
with the existing railway line.
Manchester Airport station
The station would be a subsurface station, adjacent to (and partly under) the existing
Manchester airport station, giving good interchange with local buses, trams and trains
as well as direct access to the airport.
Like at East Midlands Airport, the Manchester Airport station design will depend what
Manchester Airport Corporation want and are willing to pay for. But unlike East Midlands Airport,
Manchester Airport is sufficiently important for all trains to stop at, and being on a branch, there will
not be such severe line capacity constraints. Therefore no overtaking provision will be needed, and one
platform for each direction will be sufficient.
Note:
The Manchester Airport branch is a greater priority than the Wigan
branch for two reasons: firstly the ECML from Crewe to Wigan is
quadruple track, whereas most of the existing line from Crewe to
Manchester is only double track despite being shared with stopping
services. Secondly it could be funded by a levy on Manchester
Airport landing fees or air tickets.
Operations
Unless there are serious problems with path availability, all high
speed trains to Manchester would run via Manchester Airport.
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The Objectives
• Faster services to Leeds
• Faster services to Wakefield
The Route
As with HS2 Ltd's route, but connecting to the existing line to
Wakefield Westgate with a 2.5km radius curve.
Operations
High speed trains to Leeds would run via Wakefield Westgate
instead of Wakefield Kirkgate.
High speed trains via Barnsley would no longer continue to Leeds. Some could
instead serve Huddersfield or Halifax if the routes to those places get electrified.
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The Objectives
• To extend the dedicated high speed tracks all the way to
Manchester.
• To increase capacity between Manchester and Manchester Airport
The Route
Mostly in tunnel, with the southern portal near Ringway Road West.
Curving northwards until it crosses under the Mersey, then mostly
following the A34 (Kingsway). Surfacing at Longsight International
Depot and running to Piccadilly on the north side of the existing
lines.
Manchester Piccadilly station
As with HS2 Ltd's plan, Mancheser Piccadilly station would be expanded on the northern side
to accommodate the high speed platforms, unless plans for High Speed 3 (which should be well
advanced by the time HS2 reaches this stage) favour a different layout.
Operations
Because substantial time will have elapsed before this branch
opens, demand may differ from what is currently envisaged. However
it is quite likely that the following services will run at least
hourly as soon as this stage opens:
• London Euston (via Manchester Airport only)
• Birmingham Curzon Street (with an additional Crewe stop)
• Airport Link train: Manchester to Gatwick Airport via Manchester
Airport, Crewe, Birmingham International, Calvert, High Wycombe,
Heathrow Terminal 5, Byfleet, Leatherhead and Reigate.
The Manchester branch of High Speed 2 would be technically suited
to double decker trains, though due to the possibility of large
numbers of airport passengers with lots of luggage, it is unclear
how operationally suited it would be.
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The Objectives
• Faster services to Leeds
• Faster services to York and beyond
The Route
As with HS2 Ltd's route, including the depot.
A temporary connection would link to the existing line at
Woodlesford.
Operations
The vast majority of HS2 trains to Leeds would use this line instead of running via Wakefield. All HS2 trains to York
would use this line.
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The Objectives
• To improve speeds and journey times for destinations on the
northern part of the West Coast Main Line.
• To enable Manchester to Scotland services via Manchester
Airport
The Route
As per HS2 Ltd's plan to Abram where it would converge with the
WCML, but staying on separate tracks for the remaining 4km to
Wigan. All junctions would be grade separated and a unified
station would be built to improve interchange at Wigan.
Provision would be made for the eventual construction of a high
speed tunnel under Wigan to avoid the tight curves near Wigan
station. However considering how important an interchange Wigan
will be for the people of Merseyside and Greater Manchester, most
high speed trains going through Wigan will stop there so a bypass
tunnel would be a very low priority. Hence the tunnel itself has
not been included in the Track11 HS2 plan.
Operations
High speed trains would use this line to link Glasgow and central
Scotland with London and Birmingham (and possibly also
Manchester). They would also link Edinburgh with Manchester (and
Manchester Airport).
High speed services to Blackpool are also a possibility.
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The Objectives
• To link with the East Coast Main Line for high speed services
to North East England and eastern Scotland
The Route
As per the HS2 Ltd's plan.
Operations
HS2 would take over many of the long distance services on the
ECML.
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The Objectives
• To extend the high speed line all the way to the existing
station in Leeds
The Route
Track11 specifically rejects HS2 Ltd's plan for a separate station
at Leeds, as its separation from the main station and from the
City Centre would cost passengers far more time than it saves.
Instead the following seven options are suggested for further
consideration:
Options 1, 2 and 3: Following HS2 Ltd's plan (bypassing
Woodlesford station to the north, then alongside the existing
line) as far as Hunslet. Then:
Option 1: As in HS2 Ltd's plan, but extended above the River Aire
to reach Leeds station.
Option 2: Going underground to reach Leeds station.
Option 3: Following the existing line to Leeds station.
Options 4, 5 and 6: similar to options 1,2 and 3 respectively, but
instead of running via Woodlesford they would branch off the main
high speed line further south, cross the River Calder and tunnel
from Stanley to Stourton.
Option 7 involves crossing the River Aire at Woodlesford, then
roughly following the A63 (Pontefract Lane) to the southern side
of Neville Hill sidings, where it would join the existing railway
(which would be upgraded to four track).
Extending an elevated line to Leeds station would be difficult and
expensive and there is limited space (which is presumably why HS2
Ltd stopped short). Tunnelling has the advantage of bringing
shorter journey times and the opportunity to extend the line
northwards from Leeds station, but at least initially the expense
is unlikely to be justified for the low proportion of trains that
use this line. Therefore options 3 and 7 are likely to be
strongest, and are shown on the map as the southern and northern
option respectively. In both cases there is a significant
opportunity to increase the benefits by sharing the line with ECML
trains.
Entering Leeds from the west makes it easier to provide extra platform
space for trains to terminate, as more platform capacity on the
northern side could be provided relatively easily. However
entering Leeds from the east would enable the trains to be
extended to Bradford (via the existing electrified line) without
reversing, so less platform capacity would be needed at Leeds).
Operations
Opening this section is not initially expected to significantly alter
service patterns, though it would reduce journey times and enable
double decker trains to be used.
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Beyond the Y
Beyond stage Y, and beyond the Y shaped network of HS2, high speed
lines would still be needed, but with a less intensive service
(due to lower demand than on the southern section) it makes sense
to share the line with conventional trains. Thus although they
would be used by HS2 trains, and would slash journey times, these
lines would mainly be regarded as parts of the WCML and ECML
rather than HS2:
Shorter, faster route from Elvanfoot to Glasgow
Mostly alongside M74, tunnel at south end.
Shorter, faster route from Oxenholme to Penrith
Direct tunnel avoiding steep and hilly route.
East Lothian ECML straightening
Rerouting of the East Coast Main Line through East Lothian so that
it runs alongside the A1 rather than via Drem. Also following the
A1 past Dunbar so that only trains stopping at Dunbar will detour
through it.
The route via Drem would be kept open for local trains.
Strathmore route reopening
To create a faster route to Aberdeen via Forfar. This is part of
the HSUK plan.
Morpeth bypass line
To avoid the sharply curving section of ECML with a permanent
50mph speed limit
Berwick Upon Tweed bypass line
From west of Ayton (Scotland) to Tweedmouth (England) requiring
between 9 and 10km of tunnelling as well as a new bridge across
the Tweed.
New high speed route via Teesside Airport
This would enable high speed trains to link Teesside Airport with
East Midlands, Birmingham, Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
This line would not be constructed before a Tees Valley Metro is
established.
New high speed route through Newcastle
This line, mostly in tunnel but also including a new bridge over
the Tyne, is part of the HSUK plan. However for reasons of
passenger comfort as well as interchange quality, the Track11
variant would have the Newcastle station platforms in tunnel below
the existing station rather than on the new Tyne bridge.
York bypass line
From Tollerton to Colton Junction (where HS2 converges with the
ECML) to cut the journey times of those trains which do not stop
at York.
Newcastle to Edinburgh (inland) high speed route
Although upgrading the existing ECML route from Newcastle is
likely to be the best value option to get high speed trains to
Edinburgh, a faster more direct high speed line remains a
possibility. Significantly, if a new motorway is constructed to
link Newcastle and Edinburgh, it is likely to be worth combining
the construction of a high speed line with that. However if no new
motorway is built, this line is unlikely to be worth constructing
on its own.
Knebworth to Alexandra Palace widening
An extra pair of tracks from Knebworth to Alexandra Palace,
increasing the number of tracks to four through Welwyn North and
six south of Welwyn Garden City so that Thameslink and Moorgate
services can all be run intensively without affecting Intercity
services on the ECML.
ECML high speed route
One high speed line will not always be enough to link Scotland and
northern England to London.
A proposal for a high speed line to relieve the ECML from north of
Doncaster to south of Peterborough was made in the year 2000 by
Virgin Trains when they were bidding for the InterCity East Coat
franchise. Building this would provide more high speed line
capacity and shorter journey times between London, the East
Midlands, Yorkshire and the North East. This in turn would free up
capacity on High Speed 2 for more services to Birmingham and the
North West.
Back to Track11 UK Plans page