For now
Yes, though it's only a minute or two. There is a benefit to having all passenger trains on Trent Valley being 110mph from a timetabling perspective, the same way that Thameslink and Crossrail pack more tph in by having all rolling stock being the same.
I wouldn't read too much into it. NPR depended on the HS2 2b tunnels and the Tories never really decided what NPR they wanted and whether Bradford was or was not included.
The HS2 tunnel under South Manchester retains route protection, everything from the original NPR is still pledged to built according to the document, Or it is an "illustrative" depiction of what the region could do with the "funding" it is allocated. There is no reason to build an "NPR" with the original HS2 alignment if HS2 isn't happening, This isn't even taking into account what is said in the Integrated Rail Plan:
They mention remodeling Handsacre, to revert it back to the original design where HS2 trains will run onto the fast lines, rather than the slow lines. However, whether Handsacre happens at all is up in the air, so its currently a maybe.
The proposal appears to be that trains from Manchester would get to Bradford via Huddersfield and a new link from there. Whether they would continue to Leeds I don't know.
But can Keir and Labour afford the cost ?. That is the poison chalice being handed to them.
However, the current Westminster administration intends deliberately to sabotage any prospect of a future government resuscitating HS2 phase 2a, by abandoning the earthworks and selling off the compulsorily purchased land within weeks. It is protecting the expensive alignment of NPR/HS2 phase 2b from Rostherne to Manchester Piccadilly for now, but I don't see how building NPR alone via this route can be justified from a cost benefit perspective.
That is a very expensive piece of resilience. I would also expect the HS2 6 foot to be more than 6 foot which allows for more single line working.
Why they are protecting a very expensive alignment I will never know, since it was a cheaper option compared to 2B which means 2 new stations and a Davenport Green to Ardwick tunnel, way more expensive than 2A. They also intend to sabotage it as the government know these are their last days and want to make it harder for then next government (Labour).
High Speed rail, in whatever form, has very little relevance to the majority of prospective voters at the next election.
but capacity on the WCML and space for more electric freight certainly does (even if it is well hidden or not reported.)
It doesn't. What impact does electric freight have on utility bills, schools or the NHS that the general public would recognise?
Like most of the population, I haven't seen any polls. I certainly haven't heard any discussion of decarbonisation in the market town I live in, or in the established second city I work in.
You don't think that the wider population care about the amount of road freight, or the fact that we can't put any more of it behind electric locos?
They do not, one way or the other, as they're not aware that there is such a thing as electric railfreight as an alternative, and heavy road freight doesn't impact them on a regular basis.
The railway remains the travel toy of the comparatively rich over most of the UK, especially on lines like the WCML that are dominated by long distance journeys.
The public want those actions right up until they are expected to pay for them.
I'm confused by what's meant by "a cheaper option". Cheaper than what?
I am very much guessing but I think the complaint is that phase 2a which is cheap is having its land sold off. Whereas the more expensive phase 2b into Manchester is not having the land that was compulsorily purchased sold off. The point then being that phase 2a will then be harder to resurrect than phase 2b. This is despite phase 2a being a lot cheaper than phase 2b and phase 2a being a big improvement over just phase 1. Possibly phase 2b is pointless without phase 2a so really looks like vandalism.
It really needs more education.
The tunnelling via Manchester airport is very expensive, and without hs2 routing that way, an alternative route without such extensive underground sections might be preferred.
So just loads of compulsory purchase and demolitions? (See likewise finding a route from Warrington to Liverpool other than existing lines.)
No land has been compulsorily purchased for Phase 2B because no Act of Parliament has been passed to authorise such purchases.
At what point does the land between Piccadilly and Longsight on the east side of the formation get used for other purposes? It looks like it is reserved for Phase 2b, but could easily be built on as Manchester's centre spreads.
The government hoped you would forget about that, that it promised NPR *and* HS2.
www.theguardian.com
Seems the full HS2 still has a chance
Labour could revive HS2 northern legs after government fails to sell off land
Sources say land bought for train route north of Birmingham unlikely to be sold before polls – paving way for project’s revival
I just wanted to check if that is a joke, if not saying its network north is just offensive.That's if all the HS2 money hasn't been "redistributed" dahn sarf.
The current Labour party are too on edge to make any promise to do with HS2 given how controversial it was. And if they get in to power, by the same principle I expect them to be wayyyyy too scared to reignite the project out of fear of angering people who just voted for them - my hopes are still at rock bottomSeems the full HS2 still has a chance
Labour could revive HS2 northern legs after government fails to sell off land
Sources say land bought for train route north of Birmingham unlikely to be sold before polls – paving way for project’s revival
It's real. Was published on twitter to widespread derision. DfT deleted it after a couple of days.