How could service patterns through Colwich Junction increase capacity

[WTT Gremlin]

To be fair if you extended HS2 to from Handsacre to Norton bridge that would fix/improve 4 of those?

Depending on the specifics of a Norton Bridge connection it would likely just move where the most restrictive limitations are, because whilst it would be great to release paths at Colwich, but they are of little use if you still cannot effectively use them.

 

[MatthewHutton]

Depending on the specifics of a Norton Bridge connection it would likely just move where the most restrictive limitations are, because whilst it would be great to release paths at Colwich, but they are of little use if you still cannot effectively use them.

I assume a grade separated connection to the mainline and some sort of grade separated connection to the line(s) towards Stoke.

There is definitely also an element where problems cascade. If 95% of trains come off the high speed line with a 3 minute delay or less rather than the current 60% that helps hold everything else together even with no other improvements.

 

[WTT Gremlin]

I assume a grade separated connection to the mainline and some sort of grade separated connection to the line(s) towards Stoke.

There is definitely also an element where problems cascade. If 95% of trains come off the high speed line with a 3 minute delay or less rather than the current 60% that helps hold everything else together even with no other improvements.

I would entirely agree regarding improved performance aiding improved performance. Short of Crewe any extension of HS2 would only really offer performance benefits to Colwich given the problem isn't moved beyond any traffic O/Ds.

Obviously the best extension of HS2 to enable a better overall network including for services passing Colwich Jn would be running to Manchester directly, and links to the WCML north of Crewe... oh wait... apparently we are not allowed nice things Rishi said so.