Comments on: The development of HS2 was exemplary https://www.newcivilengineer.com/opinion/the-development-of-hs2-was-exemplary-01-03-2024/ Civil engineering and construction news and jobs from New Civil Engineer Tue, 05 Mar 2024 07:32:10 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.0 https://www.newcivilengineer.com/wp-content/themes/mbm-mops-2017/images/logo.gif New Civil Engineer https://www.newcivilengineer.com 125 75 Civil engineering and construction news and jobs from New Civil Engineer By: Alistair Lenczner https://www.newcivilengineer.com/opinion/the-development-of-hs2-was-exemplary-01-03-2024/#comment-4696 Tue, 05 Mar 2024 07:32:10 +0000 https://www.newcivilengineer.com/?p=275094#comment-4696 In reply to Philip Alexander.

Correct. I couldn’t see how to edit this….

]]> By: Philip Alexander https://www.newcivilengineer.com/opinion/the-development-of-hs2-was-exemplary-01-03-2024/#comment-4695 Tue, 05 Mar 2024 06:25:25 +0000 https://www.newcivilengineer.com/?p=275094#comment-4695 In reply to Alistair Lenczner.

“– Being built with a connection to HS1 means that places north of London….” I think you mean “being built without a connection” etc.

]]> By: Philip Alexander https://www.newcivilengineer.com/opinion/the-development-of-hs2-was-exemplary-01-03-2024/#comment-4692 Mon, 04 Mar 2024 09:57:59 +0000 https://www.newcivilengineer.com/?p=275094#comment-4692 I hadn’t noticed that it was April 1st already.

]]> By: Alistair Lenczner https://www.newcivilengineer.com/opinion/the-development-of-hs2-was-exemplary-01-03-2024/#comment-4691 Sat, 02 Mar 2024 17:12:21 +0000 https://www.newcivilengineer.com/?p=275094#comment-4691 Whilst HS2 with Phases 1 and 2a would indeed provide an important step-change improvement for the UK’s railways, several shortcomings in the way that HS2 was planned suggest thatit’s development was far from exemplary. Here’s a few of those shortcomings:

– Being planned with new terminus stations, rather than through stations, at London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds meant that HS2 would have poor connectivity with the existing national rail network and deprive passengers of a wide range of potential service options.

– Being built with a connection to HS1 means that places north of London will remain deprived of direct train services to Europe via the Channel tunnel.

– A lack of connection with the Network Rail lines at Birmingham means that places south and west of Birmingham will not benefit from HS2.

– Rather than having just 200m long trains than can be coupled together to form 400m long trains, HS2 should have modular trains that allow different lengths for different routes and maximise capacity of services at existing stations.

– A way should have been found to serve Heathrow airport…… and perhaps Gatwick too.

– HS2 should have been properly integrated with the Northern Powerhouse Railway.

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