HS2 Operations - Speculation welcomed

[Nottingham59]

This thread is to discuss all aspects of operating HS2 when it is finally built and open to the public. In scope are services Old Oak Common to Curzon St, and from London and Birmingham to the north (i.e. when the link to Handsacre is built). Out of scope are HS2 Euston, which seems to be several years further down the road, and any exentions to HS2 Phase 1 beyond Handsacre.

To start the ball rolling, I have a number of questions/observations.

• How will HS2 manage the flow of passengers at OOC? Published images of the station show a mezzanine concourse with a single gate line, and with multiple escalators down to each platform. This is very different from Euston today. How will passengers be directed to the right place on the platform? Does this mean all trains will need ticket checks? Should passengers be allowed onto the platform(s) before the previous train has left?
• Will / should ticket prices be cheap to fill the trains, or eye-wateringly expensive to maximise revenue? How will season tickets from Interchange to London be priced?
• How many paths through Handsacre will be possible? Will / should there be any HS2 service to the north from Curzon St?
• Will it be possible to run 400m trains through Handsacre and split them somewhere? Splitting / Joining does not necessarily need to be at a platform.
• What hours of operation?
• Will / should travel be only by reserved seat and specified train? Or should HS2 run a turn-up-and-go shuttle service to Birmingham, where passengers just get on the first train that goes to their destination?
• What dwell time will be needed at OOC to turn a train round?
• How will HS2 handle disruption? What plans should they have if service gets suspended for any reason?

These are my questions. I'm sure you can think of others

 

[Dr Day]

Will the HS2 operator objective be to maximise net revenue (revenue less operating costs) for the HS2 operator, or work as an integral part of GBR in collaboration with the other bits to maximise net revenue across GBR as a whole?

 

[The Planner]

Hours of operation aren't going to be more than 2330-0530 at best. I still don't expect more than 8tph through Handsacre off HS2, even that might be a push depending on how its timetabled and yes, there should be northbound out of Curzon St. Turnarounds no less than 15 minutes at OOC. Splitting and joining if it happens will be in a platform, nowhere else. Disruption will be dependent on where this issue is, there will be an overall contingency plan based on HS2/NW&C region, much like the contingency plans that exist now.

Will the HS2 operator objective be to maximise net revenue (revenue less operating costs) for the HS2 operator, or work as an integral part of GBR in collaboration with the other bits to maximise net revenue across GBR as a whole?

It won't be a seperate entity.

 

[SynthD]

work as an integral part of GBR in collaboration with the other bits to maximise net revenue across GBR as a whole?

As it will be part of the WCML concession, a middle option is that it is worked to maximise revenue from that concession. Alternatively, worked to minimise congestion in that concession, ie no one sensible should choose the old lines on cost grounds. I think this has been consistently but rarely stated. It will not necessarily look the same at 7 (the max before opening Euston) and 18tph.

 

[JonathanH]

It will not necessarily look the same at 7 (the max before opening Euston) and 18tph.

Surely figures like 17 or 18 tph are long gone expectations, along with the platforms at Euston that would be required to run that frequency, and any outlet to places not on the WCML?