Should we rename high speed lines?

[Sad Sprinter]

We renamed Crossrail to the Elizabeth Line for better or for worse, so why not change the bland “HSx” names for our high speed lines? For instance, HS2 could be “HS West Coast” or “HS LNW”, a future route to Glasgow could be “HS Caledonian” and HS1 could be renamed, after its precursor railway, “HS South Eastern”.

HS2’s Eastern Arm, if built, could be “HS Midland” after the original line it follows”

 

[The Planner]

We renamed Crossrail to the Elizabeth Line for better or for worse, so why not change the bland “HSx” names for our high speed lines? For instance, HS2 could be “HS West Coast” or “HS LNW”, a future route to Glasgow could be “HS Caledonian” and HS1 could be renamed, after its precursor railway, “HS South Eastern”.

HS2’s Eastern Arm, if built, could be “HS Midland” after the original line it follows”

I'm not sure people are bothered by it. It seems an enthusiast thing. Apart from the WCML and ECML, and they are tenuous, how many punters generally know what the line is apart from "the one to x or y". Network Rail changes its mind on its regions/routes often enough.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I'm not sure people are bothered by it. It seems an enthusiast thing. Apart from the WCML and ECML, and they are tenuous, how many punters generally know what the line is apart from "the one to x or y". Network Rail changes its mind on its regions/routes often enough.

People should know these things. Unfortunately when you have the slightest depth of knowledge about anything you become an “anorak”

 

[The Planner]

People should know these things. Unfortunately when you have the slightest depth of knowledge about anything you become an “anorak”

Why? If my mum wanted to get on a train, she isn't going to care if its called the Super Duper Fast train to where I want to go line, she will want to know what time the train is and how much its going to cost her.

 

[Snow1964]

I'm not sure people are bothered by it. It seems an enthusiast thing. Apart from the WCML and ECML, and they are tenuous, how many punters generally know what the line is apart from "the one to x or y". Network Rail changes its mind on its regions/routes often enough.

Exactly, it's the service people worry about, in France people just talk about getting the TGV from X to Y, not a list of lignes a Grand vitesse (all LGVs have names, same principle as numbering them) that there train will pass along.

 

[Sorcerer]

I actually think naming high speed lines by numbers in order of construction is a simple yet effective way of doing so. You could call HS2 Phase 1 "HSL West Midlands" and Phase 2 as "HSL North West" similar to how SNCF names them as things such as LGV Nord (for north) or LGV Sud-Est (for south-east), but it doesn't roll as nicely as simply calling them High Speed 1 and High Speed 2. Plus, as previously mentioned, regular passengers will not care what the name of their route is called, they just want to know when the train leaves, when it arrives, and possibly how long it will take them. So from both an enthusiast and passenger point of view, I see no reason to change the names. Besides which I don't see how naming them by numbers is any more bland than naming them by region.

 

[LLivery]

One argument for, is the fact 'High Speed' has placed the focus on speed, almost confirming the general public view this is all for '20 minutes off the time to Birmingham, rather than capacity. Politically, it could make sense to rename it.

I always liked the 'Continental Main Line' for HS1 - can't remember where I read that proposal. NPR could be 'Pennine Main Line'.

My own naming convention would be HS Continental (HS1), HS Chiltern-Trent (HS2), HS Pennine (NPR), HS Caledonian (HS2 Scottish extension)

 

[Western Sunset]

My suggestion:
HS1
HS2 (bits of, sometime, maybe...)

 

[PTR 444]

One argument for, is the fact 'High Speed' has placed the focus on speed, almost confirming the general public view this is all for '20 minutes off the time to Birmingham, rather than capacity. Politically, it could make sense to rename it.

I always liked the 'Continental Main Line' for HS1 - can't remember where I read that proposal. NPR could be 'Pennine Main Line'.

My own naming convention would be HS Continental (HS1), HS Chiltern-Trent (HS2), HS Pennine (NPR), HS Caledonian (HS2 Scottish extension)

Something like ‘Great British Main Line’ would be better for HS2 IMO

 

[LLivery]

Something like ‘Great British Main Line’ would be better for HS2 IMO

Can see the red, white and blue livery already, blaming delays at OOC on 'Labour run London'

 

[PGAT]

We're not going to have enough High Speed lines for a need to name them all. HS1, HS2, HS3 etc will suffice

 

[zwk500]

We renamed Crossrail to the Elizabeth Line for better or for worse, so why not change the bland “HSx” names for our high speed lines? For instance, HS2 could be “HS West Coast” or “HS LNW”, a future route to Glasgow could be “HS Caledonian” and HS1 could be renamed, after its precursor railway, “HS South Eastern”.

People seem to cope fine with M1, M6 etc. Pedantically, Crossrail is the railway and Elizabeth Line is the service, and HS1 started life as the CTRL (Channel Tunnel Rail Link), only being rebranded to HS1 a bit later (possibly after the full opening to St Pancras?).
As Crossrail is proving, there's no need to keep the infrastructure name and the operating brand the same. Avanti run trains on the WCML, guess which name people say when they're taking a train from London to Manchester? Similarly you take an LNER or LUMO to Newcastle or Edinburgh, not the ECML if you're talking to people who aren't familiar with the railway system.
At the moment on HS1 people call the SE services either just 'high speed' to differentiate them from normal SE services or Javelin after the branding used around the Olympic shuttles. If you're going to Europe you say you're getting the Eurostar. Very few people would talk about HS1 or the CTRL in normal conversation.

HS2’s Eastern Arm, if built, could be “HS Midland” after the original line it follows”

The HS2 eastern spur doesn't really follow any line, plugging into the MML at East Mids Parkway. The bit to Leeds has been pulled.

 

[JKF]

We're not going to have enough High Speed lines for a need to name them all. HS1, HS2, HS3 etc will suffice

Shame. I was quite looking forward to travelling on HS37 from Ilfracombe to Euston via Minehead and OOC in my fading years.

 

[ExRes]

HS Moneypit Line

 

[Gloster]

Change the second ‘e‘ in High Speed Line to an ‘n‘ and you will be dead accurate.

 

[renegademaster]

High Speed Charles

 

[High Dyke]

How about naming HS2 the 'White Elephant Line'?

 

[PTR 444]

How about we just call it the New West Coast Main Line.

 

[Basil Jet]

How about calling it "Resolute"? Both as an accurate description of the trains, and an ironic description of the construction process.