HS2 needs a rebrand

[camflyer]

Yep. He said he couldn't commit it to it - which is far from "unequivocal". And that the land would be sold off - which hasn't actually happened of course.

Nothing stopping Labour from resurrecting it/rebranding it.

A rebrand is definitely needed even for the parts under construction as HS2 is a worthless brand now. Crossrail changed to the Elizabeth Line when construction moved to operational phase so something similar should be considered for when the London to Birmingham HS line, something Shakespearean maybe, goes into service and then another name for Birmingham to Manchester.

 

[59CosG95]

A rebrand is definitely needed even for the parts under construction as HS2 is a worthless brand now. Crossrail changed to the Elizabeth Line when construction moved to operational phase so something similar should be considered for when the London to Birmingham HS line, something Shakespearean maybe, goes into service and then another name for Birmingham to Manchester.

I can only imagine the HS2 detractors are itching to call it the "Falstaff Line".

 

[Krokodil]

A rebrand is definitely needed even for the parts under construction as HS2 is a worthless brand now. Crossrail changed to the Elizabeth Line when construction moved to operational phase so something similar should be considered for when the London to Birmingham HS line, something Shakespearean maybe, goes into service and then another name for Birmingham to Manchester.

Rebrand Phase 2A as the Stafford Bypass for a start. Then just mush the rest under NPR.

 

[mike57]

Then just mush the rest under NPR

But I think NPR is dead as well. No one will admit it, and it will be still be talked about, but thats all that will happen. No 'boots on the ground' for at least the next two political cycles, and may be never.

 

[camflyer]

Rebrand Phase 2A as the Stafford Bypass for a start. Then just mush the rest under NPR.

I'm not sure NPR is a great brand either on the basis that people don't know what it is and it may be too associated with Osborne and Johnson as a political rather than infrastructural idea.

 

[Krokodil]

I'm not sure NPR is a great brand either on the basis that people don't know what it is

The fact that people don't know what it is was the reason for picking it. If people don't know what it is then its reputation hasn't yet been tarnished

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I agree a rebrand is needed. I came up with the brand name of “Boudicca” for the service itself for my own HS2 fantasy thread as a sort of symbol of national renaissance-if you can imagine such a thing.

 

[Bletchleyite]

"The Great British Rail Capacity Project"?

I've long said the "high speed" bit is just a happy coincidence and the point is masses of capacity for growth.

 

[Nottingham59]

Rebrand Phase 2A as the Stafford Bypass for a start. Then just mush the rest under NPR.

Do it in stages: Fradley to Hixon is the Colwich Bypass; Hixon to Baldwins Gate is the Stafford Bypass; instead of tunnelling under Crewe, build a Crewe bypass from Baldwins gate to around Winsford.

As separate exercise, establish 400m as the new standard length on the WCML. Extend platforms at Crewe, Preston etc where this can be done cheaply to split and join HS2 400m trains. And build 400m platforms in central Manchester with connections somehow to the classic network.

 

[Bletchleyite]

As separate exercise, establish 400m as the new standard length on the WCML. Extend platforms at Crewe, Preston etc where this can be done cheaply to split and join HS2 400m trains. And build 400m platforms in central Manchester with connections somehow to the classic network.

The latter would be fairly easy to do if two is enough and you're willing to give up the car park.

 

[waveyswirley]

I would love a culturally/historically relevant name but I reckon when it's operational it'll just be called "[Whatever the WCML operator equivalent is called under GBR] High Speed"

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I would love a culturally/historically relevant name but I reckon when it's operational it'll just be called "[Whatever the WCML operator equivalent is called under GBR] High Speed"

I can see it now “DB/Trenitalia UK High Speed”

 

[Bletchleyite]

Avanti High Speed was the likely brand at one point, but that's now fairly poisoned.

 

[Nottingham59]

Maybe a flying white elephant as the logo?

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Oh god that would have been dull. Truly though, I would actually not like to see “high speed” anywhere in the title. I don’t like the defacto “lessering” of the conventional services vis the high speed services. “Intercity” should be left as a premier name, rather than the slow long distance services as they are in France and Italy.

How about, keeping the regal theme, leaving the HS2 and conventional services as intercity, but giving the intercity brand itself subbrands? HS2 could be “Intercity Victoria” for instance and conventional classic trains “Intercity Elizabethan” or something. Not that one Queen was superior than the other of course…

Avanti High Speed was the likely brand at one point, but that's now fairly poisoned.

 

[HSTEd]

Given that HS2 is winding down construction, does it really need any branding at all now?

There is little need to sell it to the public at this point, given that almost all of the money that is going to be committed has been committed.

 

[The Planner]

Given that HS2 is winding down construction, does it really need any branding at all now?

There is little need to sell it to the public at this point, given that almost all of the money that is going to be committed has been committed.

Where is it winding down?

 

[GatwickDepress]

Grand Union Relief Line? Admittedly, it doesn't branch off to Leicester and comparisons to the speed of the canal are inevitable when something goes wrong... actually, scrap it.

Capacity/Reliability Augmentation Programme?

 

[camflyer]

Given that HS2 is winding down construction, does it really need any branding at all now?

There is little need to sell it to the public at this point, given that almost all of the money that is going to be committed has been committed.

There is still a huge amount of construction to be done.

I was thinking more in terms of rebranding it when it becomes an operational service in the same way that Crossrail became the Elizabeth Line and TransManche Link was just project for the building of the Channel Tunnel.

 

[InTheEastMids]

Capacity/Reliability Augmentation Programme?

I, for one, think this is the best so far, as I will only support projects with unrepeatable acronyms.

However, that is why I was fired from my job researching nanotechnology at Coventry University.

 

[Tezza1978]

Where is it winding down?

Precisely. They are at "peak" construction. No "winding down"....

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I, for one, think this is the best so far, as I will only support projects with unrepeatable acronyms.

However, that is why I was fired from my job researching nanotechnology at Coventry University.

Grand Union Relief Line? Admittedly, it doesn't branch off to Leicester and comparisons to the speed of the canal are inevitable when something goes wrong... actually, scrap it.

Capacity/Reliability Augmentation Programme?

Took me a while!

I think we will be stuck with HS2 - cant see it being rebranded.

 

[snowball]

Never mind brand names, just call it a railway.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Never mind brand names, just call it a railway.

Well that would work too!

 

[Mr. SW]

X-SupaTrans e360k

 

[Halifaxlad]

Why does it even need a brand ?

Politically being a brand made it so much easier for many to campaign against it.

If its exended now its even unlikely to be high speed at 250mph, drop the insistence of calling it HS2 and lets just call it a rail line!

It would also feel more intergrated rather than segregated for the National Rail network too!

 

[Transilien]

drop the insistence of calling it HS2 and lets just call it a rail line!

But HS2 is the name of the rail line! HS1 was named with the idea that there would be a HS2 built.

 

[HSTEd]

Precisely. They are at "peak" construction. No "winding down"....

So what comes immediately after peak construction?
The peak will be sustained for a relatively short further period and then an inexorable fall to zero employment will commence.

There is no further work in the pipeline beyond that already committed, the workforce will only fall from here.

 

[Tezza1978]

So what comes immediately after peak construction?
The peak will be sustained for a relatively short further period and then an inexorable fall to zero employment will commence.

There is no further work in the pipeline beyond that already committed, the workforce will only fall from here.

I strongly suspect Euston tunnelling will be signed off soon for a start. Also none of the non civils infrastructure - signalling, p-way, OLE has even started yet!

 

[The Planner]

So what comes immediately after peak construction?
The peak will be sustained for a relatively short further period and then an inexorable fall to zero employment will commence.

There is no further work in the pipeline beyond that already committed, the workforce will only fall from here.

You have the fit out, so whilst the concrete work is gone, the track, signalling and ops needs to be done. Its no different to any other project, once the work is done, people move on to the next thing in whatever sector, it isn't necessarily rail. The people who did the design etc, are already out of jobs or on something different.