HS2 rail line will run from London Euston to Crewe | LBC Exclusive

[@101engineer]

Still need to connect it to HS1 Eurostar, to connect the 6 million people in greater Birmingham and greater Manchester to Paris, Brussels, Rotterdam etc. and get us more joined up and productive. We need a campaign for the connection!

[@quailking8265]

Indeed, scrapping the HS1/HS2 link back in 2014 under the Tories was such a retrograde and dumb move in my trainphile eyes - I also think thr new link should connect both lines via Heathrow and Gatwick airports as the scrapped hs4 proposed back in 2018

[@lawrencejob]

It likely won’t happen if they connect it to Euston, which is upsetting - they can’t build both

[@kingflynxi9420]

​@@quailking8265 we need HS5

[@slimchris113]

@@101engineer Connect Manchester and Leeds before Brussels and Paris

[@kityhawk2000]

​@@lawrencejobit's not that difficult to get from Euston to St Pancras you can already get from HS1 to the WCML simply by running on the North London line. The Caledonian Sleeper uses that way to get the the ECML when the WCML is closed for maintenance

[@harveysmith100]

What most people don't realise is HS2 isn't just about a high speed link from London to the north. It is about freeing up much needed space on an existing overcrowded rail network. Many lines are slow because local trains have to be held back in order to allow the high speed trains to pass through that area.

[@garriejackson9551]

Are you joking? I sincerely hope so

[@harveysmith100]

@@garriejackson9551 Why would I joke. Everything I said is factual

[@Gr33nMamba]

Yep, and it also frees up the other lines to potentially run more scheduled freight trains. Sadly this is was caused by the selling point being focussed on time saved, which really wasn't that much in the first place.

[@harveysmith100]

@@Gr33nMamba Exactly, it's like running an A road running through the centre of a city as apposed to a dual carriageway on a fly over right across the city. The city traffic will move a lot more freely without the through traffic.

[@garriejackson9551]

@@harveysmith100 scource

[@EuroDC1990]

A full high speed and high capacity network is needed really but at the very least Crewe is a more sensible place to end HS2 (for now) than Birmingham and allows for better onward travel options. Ideal, no - better, yes. What absolutely needs to happen though is cross-pennine high capacity rail, passive provision to expand HS2 north of Crewe, and a plan for an M1 corridor extra High Capacity line in the future to serve the cities of the East Midlands and, Yorkshire and NorthEast better connections. London and Manchester are both black holes for funding and investment at the minute and we need a plan to get funding outside of those places.

[@gorgu08]

Crewe removes the massive bottleneck around Stafford and Crewe and simultaneously frees up MASSIVE capacity for local and freight traffic. It is a long term strategic decision AND will be a cashflow positive decision.

[@AlphaNevada123]

You might not agree with Hs2 but what sunak had done was the worst of both worlds. You couldn’t cancel it as it would be farcical having a half built railway in the middle of the countryside whilst cancelling the parts they did up to Crewe and through to Euston was counterproductive as many businesses had made long term plans based on HS2 extending up the whole route.

[@Jamie-hv4uk]

Like Rwanda plan

[@noahreinhard3254]

Should’ve started in the north. That way the southerners would’ve made it complete

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

It did start in the North of London in Birmingham

[@etrur2595]

nah because if the money hadn't gone into the Tories' pockets they would've ended up ridiculing the idea, criticising it and making the people who built it look like fools

[@sukyatwal1754]

Should run to Manchester and then to Scotland. Our infrastructure is shocking.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

So contact the SNP or the Norths Metro Mayors as building HS2 past Handsacre wont make the rail infrastructure up there any better up there, it is a local issue

[@superman_69703]

It should run from Crewe to Paris ideally

[@Outside85]

Isn't that what HS1 is?

[@idot148]

@@Outside85 That's the point

[@shaun906]

@@Outside85 the hight of trains on hs rail in europe are taller, we have very small bridges on existing lines hence needing a brand new line, plus exceeding 300km/h needs straight tracks on concrete slabs! i travelled from wales to manchester, on a local none electric train travelling 60mph. an improvement on them journeys will help!

[@bwilliamson3887]

@superman_69703 I'd prefer if it went from Glasgow to Brimington especially NOT going to London.

[@Hacienda_27]

It almost was like that once

[@sirjohng1]

How can HS2 have ANY cost advantage until it has paid back at least the massive cost uplift of building it so far from the initial £36 Billion from London to Manchester to plus of now £155 Billion to stop at Crewe. All change to the puffer train for the rest of your expensive journey. Considering it is not yet nearly finished that cost will rise by at least inflation before a train ever moves on its rails. Whom is going to pay a premium for this railway to save money on a current through train from London to Manchester saving maybe an hour if you are lucky after changing at Crewe? NB. The original Euston to Birmingham Railway took just five years to build using 20,000 men with picks, shovels, quadrupeds and wheelbarrows, all the stations and infrastructure and ready to go.

[@bishwatntl]

There is talk in railway circles that the HS2 Phase 2a to Crewe will be billed as part of the Northern Powerhouse Rail project. Sorry to burst your balloon, but this is NOT an LBC exclusive. There's a podcast called Green Signals that has talked about this at length, as have other sources. Oh, and it is to benefit freight trains, too - which will in turn help passenger trains.

[@SimonPJohnson]

Perhaps not an exclusive but LBC broadcasts to a much wider audience, as opposed to Green Signals (including ex RAIL staff)

[@lawrencejob]

To be fair Green Signals/Gareth Dennis/“that” discord are industry specific publications not a national broadcaster. They’re subject to entirely different journalistic rigour, for one thing.

[@Sam-uo8ki]

Listen to green signals every week and this is the first I’ve heard that it’s actually going to crewe

[@macroman54]

HS2 to Crewe will be of no benefit to the majority of the area in the North that is sadly lacking in funding, such as Manchester to Leeds, Leeds to the East Coast and Newcastle and all points North.

[@lawrencejob]

@@macroman54 I disagree - it’s about sparing capacity on the existing line for regional and freight trains, particularly the junctions around Birmingham. To learn more definitely listen to the Green Signals episode about it

[@dooniskea]

Completely correct decision. Sunak left the project in an absurd position, now we should get a valuable piece of national infrastructure.

[@1258-Eckhart]

Well, the Tories were well known for lunatic decisions, and the decision to terminate a high speed railway line in a field of cows (Handsacre) was just one of them.

[@adrianbaron4994]

To be fair, Old Oak Common isn't a field of cows...its far worse than that, being a run-down industrial estate in an unattractive part of West London, which is why the OOK station there was never designed ( and isn't being built ) as a terminus, it's a transfer hub, where HS2 passengers in either direction can change onto the GWR mainline, the Elizabeth Line and maybe even London Overground too one day ( its a bit of walk from OOK at present).

[@1258-Eckhart]

@@adrianbaron4994 I meant Handsacre on the WCML near Stafford.

[@scottpeacock5492]

The High Speed trains will not just end up in a field at Crewe, it will rejoin the West Coast Mainline at Handascare onto Manchester,

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

It is not terminating at Handsacre in North Staffordshire, this is where the HS2 line will connect onto the West Coast Mainline via a high speed junction taking HS2 trains North to Manchester, Liverpool and Scotland

[@1258-Eckhart]

@@peterwilliamallen1063 A 300 km/h highspeed line which has to join a 200 km/h railway at full capacity is the termination of the high speed line.

[@thaumaturgeishere331]

At last a sensible HS2 decision after Sunak's cretinous decision to shorten to run form Old Oak Common to just outside Birmingham City Centre.

[@antwnpowell]

get the French or Spanish to do it for a fraction of the cost.

[@vernongoodey5096]

You’ve never travelled on a Spanish Talgo train then. One axle per carriage terrifying ride flying all over the place! Talgo have put in a bid for HS2 stock by the way! USA have withdrawn all theirs for safety reasons

[@antwnpowell]

@@vernongoodey5096 I am currently in Fuengirola, so use Spanish trains every day.

[@antwnpowell]

@Robert2024H Hinckley C, Elizabeth line, Channel Tunnel HS1, Scottish Parliament, Millenium dome, Wembley, Cardiff airport rail link etc…

[@rushboy1972]

Wrong. Continental high speed lines don’t include the expensive stations or rolling stock in their project costs. Per mile HS2 construction costs are broadly similar

[@alphamikeomega5728]

Land acquisition and tunneling under the Chilterns have made HS2 so expensive - that, combined with targeting 400km/h, which severely restricted what routes were available.

[@SmithyD86]

Being from the North we desperately need this. Not only for commuter travel to Birmingham, London and then indeed Paris and the EU - but also to get our motorways part-cleared of lorries carrying goods north and south. Our motorways are an absolute joke these days.

[@SOBNo1]

No we don't. It'll cost a fortune

[@nickmagee-brown739]

We don't, there is plenty of existing infrastructure, expand the motorways by another lane and that's it. This government bankrupted out country by doing fancy projects like hs1 and look where that's got us.

[@paulwinterbourne1865]

Yes we do need it. The Weet Coast Main Line is full. Upgrading that again would be far more expensive for much much less benefit. Reinstating to Crewe & Euston is a no brainer.

[@adrianbaron4994]

If HS2 was built to Manchester and from there on becomes HS3 onto Bradford, Leeds and York, then we have a chance to avoid the collapse of the West Coast Mail Line and the M6 as well in less than 10 years. By then, if we don't have the enormous increase in rail capacity that HS2/3 will bring, both the WCML and M6 will be at 100% capacity and there will be gridlock.

[@nickmagee-brown739]

@@adrianbaron4994 remote working and AI driverless cars will likely put an end to that prediction. It's a complete waste of money and not needed full stop. There's already a railway that goes across the Pennines.

[@JelMain]

A contradiction in terms: it wasn't costed in the first place, the route from Old Oak Common to Euston is through some of the most extensive property in the country, and it makes no sense not to connect Camden to HS1 so it can run through

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

Well going through Camden is easy, they are boring a twin tunnel from OOC to London Euston and there is no reason for a domestic high speed line which HS2 is to connect to HS1 plus it will cost just a much if not more to connect HS1 to HS2 for no commercil reason

[@JelMain]

@@peterwilliamallen1063 There's one little thing missing there: you weren't present when I pointed out the compensation cost of the properties they're undermining. King Henry's Road is one of the five most expensive streets in London. Several billions in total. The problem is incoming trains convert speed for height, and vic-versa on leaving. In practice, it's not that easy: the forward momentum creates huge vibration which Camden Town wasn't built for. The net total might get into the hundreds of billions once you include the hit to tourism.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@JelMain Unlike the Tube that runs under and over Camden and Camden Town, the HS2 route will be in specilly bored tunnel that allow for preasure compression and decompresion caused by these trains, but the entrance will be at London Old Oak Common Station and will leave the tunnel at the throat of London Euston Station so will not be on the surface from OOC till they enter Euston Station, we call these billionairs NIMBY's ie NOT IN MY BACK YARD.

[@JelMain]

@@peterwilliamallen1063 If you can't be bothered to read my post, why reply? My sources were the technical papers published by the IMechE in the 70s (Dad headed the Railway Division), and training by the Army's miners a couple of years later. Before opening my mouth, I took my thoughts to the public consultation where I could be peer-reviewed by the engineers doing the job, I was 99% correct, the only thing missing was how high the rubble would bounce when trains leave. You're dealing with two tunnels surrounded by loose soil roughly bonded by grout, the entire area being in excess of 100m across. At Camden, the top of the tunnel must be at least 10' to clear the bed of the canal. At the corner by Regents Park, it's only 3' deep, but by the locks, it's closer to 20', and that's where the last track plan I saw goes. In about half a mile, by the old carriage sidings, it flattens out to the start of the throat, which is a climb of harder than 1 in 100, and that is for a reason: energy recuperation. Some tube lines do the same. However, the reality is that most of he kinetic energy is pushed into the ramp and beyond as a shock wave, and it's almost continuous according to the 11 trains an hour each way originally planned. It's less now, though. You may call them NIMBYs, but they are powerful ones. Senior diplomats, financiers, people who can make a shedload of trouble on the international scene. The second plan shifted north into Kentish Town, and closer to Camden, but the shock vibration will still be an issue. Where it is now, Lord only knows. The original plan had the tunnel mouths under Gordon Ramsay's York and Albany, but as far as I can make out they'll cut in and pass under the MML just before then, so the Nash Regents Park properties cop it too. The pressure issue's a different matter, dealt with by the blast eliminator north of Kings Cross. That can be integrated into the passage under the MML.

[@Featherface01]

At least it's going somewhere! 😅

[@pedromorgan99]

lol.. so where do I go from here.. ?? AI reply U are in crewe the most connected railway in UK.. please wait while I find your personalised timetable..

[@sbrown314]

At least if you find yourself in Crewe you know you can get out of there pretty quickly 😂

[@simonjones4855]

​@@pedromorgan99....what?

[@YouAreJel]

At the moment we are having both the 'higher speed trains' with less stops. The slower trains with lots of stops and the freight trains all running on the same lines. What this means is you need to leave a big gap between the higher speed and the slower trains so they don't interfere with each other. This significantly reduces the number of trains you can run. Also freight trains have to constantly move off the main line to make room for the passenger trains making them take an extremely long time to get to the destination. HS2 will create a new line which high speed passenger can go on which should ultimately make everything cheaper and run far more frequently with less delays and issues trying to move trains out the way.

[@YouAreJel]

HS2 is not about getting to Manchester or Birmingham half an hour quicker. It is about increasing the passenger capacity from 11,300 people per hour to 34,900 people per hour and along with that freeing up lots of space on the standard rail lines for freight as currently the M6 is completely overwhelmed with lorries many of which would not need to travel up it if we could move those shipping containers to the railways which we can't do right now due the freight trains constantly having to pull over to let the passengers trains go past. This will not only significantly reduce traffic from both people and lorries but also be much much greener resulting in less air pollution and all the cancers caused by diesel lorries. It will allow people who need to drive up the M6 to actually get to where they need to on time rather than being stuck in hours of traffic

[@johnburns4017]

Going north the WCML has its own dedicated high seed tracks.

[@Sonya_Makepeace]

There is already a line from Euston to Crewe. It's called the West Coast Mainline. This HS2, is the equivalent of a motorway toll road. You pay a bit more, to get to your destination, a bit quicker.

[@kumaran8923]

maybe before making a comment about a topic, knowing a bit about would be pretty useful

[@scottpeacock5492]

You can't get from London Euston to Crewe quick with all the slow trains in the way on the West Coast mainline, That why HS2 is being built.

[@Sonya_Makepeace]

@@scottpeacock5492 The slow trains use the outer tracks, the fast trains use the inner tracks. It's a four track mainline.

[@johnburns4017]

@@scottpeacock5492 The north tracks on the WCML are dedicated fast tracks - no slow trains on them.

[@rppacademic]

Private investment is the worst possibility, because it only makes it easier at the first moment.

[@paxundpeace9970]

Don't forget he scrapped not only the section to Manchaster but to leeds and York too.

[@normhanson981]

I hope you’re right Henry !

[@jiversteve]

Brilliant.

[@allthegearuk]

If they are following up on the report by the two Major Andy's I hope they don't adopt all the cost cutting measures they suggested. A lot of these are really technical like the size of the tunnels, gauge of the tracks etc. but it needs to fit with the rest of HS2 and the rest of western Europe. We need to prepare for future where you can get on a train in Manchester or hopefully further north and get off in Paris without having to change trains. This is why the Euston is still not ideal as it doesn't connect to the eurostar. How are we ever going to get productivity in this country up if we think so short term.

[@adrianbaron4994]

I agree that the tunnels etc should be bored to the same dimensions as the European High-Speed network ( and as HS1 is ) but in many respects HS2 is over-engineered. One example is the nonsensical cut-and-cover " tunnels" built to satisfy a handful of NIMBYs and another is the use of concrete slab tracks ( allowing running up to 225mph and maybe even more ) rather than ballasted track ( 185mph but possibly a bit more ), I'd settle for 185mph plus fully bored out tunnels etc , just to get it built.

[@paxundpeace9970]

European train Standards would be important to don't have to build costum made trains for it.

[@MBaihaki]

12 years ago, I was working on a project that involved me working in Lille in France and occasionally to Paris. Popping down to Ebbsfleet was a breeze, then onto a Eurostar and to the plant ready for start time on a Monday Morning. For me this was far easier than getting to Birmingham. HS2 needs to be completed,

[@jimbo1001-u9q]

Just been anounced....no plans for line birmingham to crewe....sensible

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

Well you have read wrong as theMetro Mayors of the West Midlands and Greater Manchester are looking into building this link

[@janeknight3597]

For goodness sake let’s get it into Euston. That needs doing whatever else happens. The tunnelling needs to start now while old Oak Common is under construction.

[@unusedsub3003]

@@janeknight3597 Get it to wherever you want. London is a 💩 hole. I’d rather we had better connections to Europe.

[@onlyme219]

So , , , , Manchester then

[@Harve6988]

Funny how it only costs another £5bn to build to Crewe when it's cost £70bn to Birmingham. Wonder why? Could it be the nimbys in between London and Birmingham...

[@adrianbaron4994]

Yes, NIMBYs, the absurd proliferation of consultants and managers, constant government meddling and micro-management and with critical decisions taken not by engineers but by career - focussed politicians, and over-engineering to be the " best in the world" when just matching say the French rural TGV standards would have been enough.

[@kityhawk2000]

Just give them 10 and take it to Scotland

[@paxundpeace9970]

70 billion would include all the connections including Manchaster Crowe and the north east via Midland sheffield to York. More like 200 miles not just 30 miles extension.

[@zacurrya9485]

Since its kind of out from manchester, maybe the plan is to develop and expand manchester to the point that crewe is manchester?

[@johnburns4017]

HS2 is *not* going to Crewe. It is going to Handsacre 18 miles north of Birmingham.

[@SusanStockley]

Perhaps all the idiots shouting about ( so soon) "What have Labour done for us" will now start learning to watch and wait. Things will happen because this government is sensible, clever and comprises grown up people, not a bunch of kids.

[@davidtube79]

Your right they are not kids they are a bunch of headless chickens.

[@unusedsub3003]

Crewe is so far south it’s practically Spanish.

[@skunclep1938]

😂😂😂

[@donnadeaville7558]

Probably know nowt about Crewe. I often wondered why Crew Alex are nick named The Railway Men , might be something to do with the history of the rail network and that actually coincides with Crewe itself. Your sarcasm has gone wrong.

[@stevenknill2179]

Lots of palm trees and cacti grown in Crewe!

[@skunclep1938]

@@donnadeaville7558 no his sarcasm hasn’t “gone wrong”, it perfectly describes the people moaning that HS2 doesn’t end in Manchester, or further North. The fact is that this is merely a news scoop, and nothing has been officially announced, plus the Mayor of Manchester is championing this. Crewe is a great place that needs investment. This will help. Why can’t you be happy about that? I know that it’s grim up North, but don’t be one of the few who need a sense of humour transplant.

[@unusedsub3003]

@@donnadeaville7558 I’m from Maryport. It was a joke. Sorry 🙄

[@ianboyle1621]

It's not too late to change the future line north of Crewe. Any future HS2 should NOT follow the WCML it should go via an underground station through Manchester and out via Preston to go further north. Look at Stuttgart which has spent millions changing that from a terminal station to a through station.

[@margaretbegley9201]

Continuing Londoncentric will be the zenith of disproportionate wealth. Lets keep the country divided and keep all opportunities Londoncentric. Generation of wealth kept firmly advantaging London and the South East.

[@davidroberts3280]

Yep

[@markgoestofrankfurt]

Birmingham is in the Midlands, crewe is further north, neither is in the SE.

[@SimonPJohnson]

🥱

[@macroman54]

@@markgoestofrankfurt I live on the East Coast, it will do frig all for me.

[@johncutmore4710]

​@oorya1780 So nothing should be built if it doesn't benefit you directly?

[@katebygrave]

Fantastic news; if this gets Treasury approval!

[@101engineer]

Not a big scoop if you (like I do) drive past the construction works every day.

[@NickAskew]

With a little effort they could have reached Middlewich (the centre of the universe and where I lived thirty years ago). I feel public transport is absolutely crucial to allow people to find a cleaner way to commute but why end at Crewe?

[@JT-nr2ss]

RailFocus has great videos about why going to Crewe is essential. It's about how HS2 trains would be able to rejoin existing infrastructure. Crewe is after the Stoke and Stafford bottlenecks.

[@NickAskew]

@@JT-nr2ss Yes, I kind of understand that they have to stop somewhere. In all honesty I stopped living in the UK thirty years ago and now live in a country with high speed networks that can whisk me to a number of different European countries. Ironically the highspeed line from Amsterdam to London goes fairly close to my current city and that was built some decades ago. I just feel the old country needs to invest in public transport.

[@D.Ducktar]

Just upgrade all of the rail infrastructure and include HS2 as part of the upgrade.

[@shawngrinter2747]

So once again the South gets the cream…..

[@joskowal3711]

This benefits the midlands/the north far more than the south. With greater connectivity to the nation's central business hub more companies will base themselves in these cities, bringing investment with them.

[@wozzywick]

@@joskowal3711More likely it will just expand the commuter zone for London and push up house prices accordingly

[@shelltune]

There was never going to be a scenario in which London did not get it's sweeties.

[@seiwarriors]

@@joskowal3711 Birmingham mainly really though.

[@burropoco]

Bit melodramatic, more like the South gets the curd and us up North get the whey. Now drink thee pint o whey and be thankful, it's better than a kick in nethers.

[@shelltune]

What about East Midlands and Leeds?

[@Phuqarf]

Or the north east of England that gets nowt!

[@baratoplata7050]

Phase2 East mids leg to Toton is interesting as it's not that far from Curzon street, lots of the land has already been purchased and is a relatively flat and easy construction. I think it could be revived at some point in the next 5 years or so if the economy picks up

[@neiltitmus9744]

Who started this anyway

[@bwilliamson3887]

Nope

[@HebrewsElevenTwentyFive]

I have a feeling they won't get what they need for another 15 or 20 years, but in the meantime, our closeness to Christ is more prescient.

[@highlandgnome]

And the Scottish taxpayer gets handed 10% of the cost. "Bitter together" and England asks why?

[@nick260682]

Scotland is a net tax sponge. London and the southeast (the only net tax contributor areas in the UK) fund you. Don’t start bleating about where the tax goes until you can make significant contributions to it. At the moment you’re getting more than your fair share.

[@autoclearanceuk7191]

Scotland would get a link if the Scottish government lobbies for it. They do not because it is against their agenda.

[@marionmclean3749]

You think? We contribute more than you know about.

[@nick260682]

@@marionmclean3749 I’m not sure even you know what that means

[@Andythrax]

This is how tax works. I pay my tax and it contributes to the NHS in Suffolk. Doesn't make me bitter. I understand that society works like that.

[@norman7527]

We can't even run our current PRIVATE railway system forget about the rest

[@alanconway94]

Interesting. Will it be cheaper, faster and less polluting than driving to Crewe in your EV?

[@gerardodwyer5908]

Britain's governance is the longest running tragic comedy.

[@HaydenCyclist]

Britain is starting to do to the British what she did to the Indian subcontinent for over 5 centuries.

[@bushmonster1702]

Is there another country in the world that wastes money so efficiently?

[@HaydenCyclist]

@@bushmonster1702 America. They printed 35 trillion and have worse infrastructure than when they printed less than 1 trillion.

[@paxundpeace9970]

At least they now about to fix it a bit. Still not enough but the damage was done by sunak.

[@lerx75]

It was £198 for a standard train ticket from Crewe to London for me last month but £50 to fly from Man to London. HS2 will likely be more than a standard ticket. Who's going to pay it?

[@YouAreJel]

At the moment we are having both the 'higher speed trains' with less stops. The slower trains with lots of stops and the freight trains all running on the same lines. What this means is you need to leave a big gap between the higher speed and the slower trains so they don't interfere with each other. This significantly reduces the number of trains you can run. Also freight trains have to constantly move off the main line to make room for the passenger trains making them take an extremely long time to get to the destination. HS2 will create a new line which high speed passenger can go on which should ultimately make everything cheaper and run far more frequently with less delays and issues trying to move trains out the way.

[@paxundpeace9970]

Flying will get more expensive

[@slimchris113]

East midlands and North East abandoned again, just restore HS2 in full.

[@jaskiranism]

wait so all that land taken by compulsive order for hs2 and all the woodland chopped down is now effectively becoming owned by private equity??

[@scottwithe3946]

Mainly now owned by Tory donors

[@johnburns4017]

London and Liverpool will be under two hours by train within a year. New Class 807 trains, which will be delivered within a year, will improve the train service. Train times will be brought to around or even below *two hours.* The extra trains will allow a second hourly service to be added. This is not even using in-cab signals which would make trains faster again or even faster trains, as they are clipped to 125mph. High Speed Two after phase 1 is built is claiming *one hour and fifty minutes,* between London and Liverpool. Less than 10 minutes in it. Have faster trains and in cab signals then the time difference will disappear.

[@marktucker208]

Paid for by the private sector 🤢

[@artistreality]

It's worse than that, in fact in 2020 the Tories were already in talks with a ccp of China owned rail company for this very thing. So we have learned nothing from foreign investors in are infostructure, like water and now Labour aka the red Tories are just signing the contracts the Tories set up.

[@l3eatalphal3eatalpha]

​@@artistreality To be fair, when there is a need for infrastructure it is likely to straddle administrations - as well as saddle them, obviously. The Tory HS2 handling was an absolute disaster from the start to finish.

[@paxundpeace9970]

I don't even care.

[@paxundpeace9970]

The torries fumbled it.

[@GeekyMedia]

This would be quite a big win, if true

[@alasdairgood3929]

Nonetheless, why as a Scottish should I be paying for this when it only goes to Crewe?

[@tajj7]

Scotland pay out more in public services than it receives in taxes, that shortfall is made up by the Westminster government. We in England already pay for Scotland.

[@chatham43]

@alas That's rich in the light of the billions we spend subsiding the Scots. !maybe it's payback time!

[@medler2110]

Why as someone living in part of England that isn't and will never be part of the HS2 network, or who doesn't use subsidised ferry and air routes in Scotland pay for any of it? Oh I know because it goes into central taxation and is then allocated to various projects, whether I agree or disagree with where it goes is irrelevant.

[@SOBNo1]

​@@medler2110 That's the best comment I've read in ages

[@verityviolet]

@@medler2110exactly. Stop whining.

[@drake128]

The spending needs itemising . Someone somewhere is marking up beyond imagination and laughing to the bank.

[@jimbo1001-u9q]

no plans for birmingham to crewe....just on news

[@JMKeynes8491]

It's about time. China has built over 46 thousand kms of high speed rail in well under 20 years. The HS2 will cover 225 kms and is due for completion in about 10 years. China builds, on average, 250 km of fast rail every month!

[@KeithAllan-b5h]

Yes, but they don't have to build expensive tunnels under Tory constituencies.....

[@Amari588]

Lets just do the sensible thing and build HS2 in full that means sending it to Crewe then Manchester and leeds and then on to Edinburgh with the golbourne link also in the future there should be a connection from hs2 to hs1 so people can go directly to paris Amsterdam and Brussels from Birmingham

[@davidtube79]

What and have a govenment do something sensable?

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

From Birminghm, we fly to Europe

[@paxundpeace9970]

It now costs twice as much thanks to fumble sunak

[@carlishiggins]

connect it to HS1 Eurostar, Labour lining ther own pockets changing contracts to their friends

[@Hacienda_27]

No it wont at all

[@russellbenton2987]

It has to restore Euston . Running from old oak common to Birmingham made no sense at all and given that the time taken to get from London to OOC mitigated the fast train from OOC to Birmingham meaning we would have wasted the £66bn already spent . I think it should be run by a new organisation though not HS2 which has spectacularly underestimated its costs or overspent

[@DavidKnowles0]

I suspect the tunnel will be restore in the budget, only around a billion. The station on the other end might take a bit more time, that a 5 billion pounds, 15 years project, through HS2 platform could open much earlier, an well before the rebuild of the rest of the station.

[@LAD907]

You can always rely on the Conservates to take us back in time

[@nicks4934]

😂

[@timothydempsey6597]

Why does o' Brian keep pulling faces

[@MarkWhitter-qm6ef]

It’s all about money-laundering contracts in exchange for party donations. Of no benefit whatsoever for anyone in Stoke-On-Trent. Our line will simply be full of freight traffic, and we’ll be paying for it through massive fare hikes. Meanwhile, those living between Liverpool and Hull will continue to make do with glorified cattle-trucks.

[@TheShortStory]

Euston is a death trap accident waiting to happen. That must be addressed in these plans

[@bbrs925]

Ah Crewe, the Paris of the north.

[@Doomedcreatures]

They might as well finish it.otherwise it's totally useless

[@andybeans5790]

HS0.2

[@karlarcher8773]

HS2 was flawed from the start, it simply expanded London's commuter belt. Most countries have a second city more than half the size of the capital. What UK really needed was a transport network that connects 4-5 million (lets say in North of England) to be able to commute within their areas to providing a counter weight to the South-East. Having busted the overdraft on this and other things, I don't see the UK will get the rebalancing it really needs. And having higher investment up North will probably make overpriced/over populated life in the South-East a bit more bearable.

[@josephharrison8354]

No, HS2 is necessary because the UK's north-south main lines are at capacity, particularly the southern stretch of the WCML. There is no expansion of rail capacity, there is no modal shift, without a dedicated HSR network to free existing railways up for freight and higher-capacity stopping services.

[@SimplySketchyGT]

NOPE I have friends up north. It going to birmingham was great news so I could visit them but having to go out to old oak common to get it was mad.

[@tajj7]

You know the main driver behind HS2 was not actually faster times to go from the north to London and vice versa, but the free up space on the local commuter lines. It was supposed to make it so they could put on more trains between places like Leeds and Manchester.

[@karlarcher8773]

@@SimplySketchyGT Birmingham is Midlands, not the North. I'm talking about towards whippet country.

[@Rob-lw8to]

Expanding the commuter belt is not a bad thing for the rest of the country. The problem with the economy now is that people who earn London wages spend in London - meaning that most of the economic benefits stay in London and surrounding areas. Extending that belt means that people earn in London but spend their money further north, promoting more economic activity and jobs all over. You can talk about "rebalancing the economy", but thats one measure to do it.

[@neilburns8869]

Taking HS2 upto Crewe for the moment is better news than one could have really have hoped for from this Labour government.👍👏🤝 I sincerely hope, that later on, sometime a bit further on another phase or two are agreed to take HS2 to places such as Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.🤞 I would even go as far as to consider an extension as far as Dundee and Aberdeen.🤞

[@longbeam-o1b]

More money wasted on the big white elephant

[@jimbo1001-u9q]

a colossal waste of money....will run half empty ..nobody will be able to afford the tickets

[@Jamie-hv4uk]

Why does james look like he is pinching a loaf everytime he looks at his phone

[@cannedham8630]

Should be a link to hs1. Then again the gammons and karens would probably think the immigrants will walk up the railway line

[@macroman54]

They don't need to walk up a railway line they get ferried in buses to the 4* hotels.

[@paxundpeace9970]

​@@macroman54that's because you lot tried to torch the other hostels

[@rastalionofficial]

Untill it goes from Crewe to the moon the midlands will not rest..🚀

[@chrish961]

No doubt andy street looking for a photo op

[@allovdem]

Andy Street should be the Tory leader

[@seanrichardson9404]

O Brian the loser 👍

[@weskerwewe]

Oh what great news to hear that the railway that doesnt go to Scotland is being extended to still not include Scotland and we still have to pay for it despite that fact. How great it is to pay for a railway that does nothing for me or anyone I know.

[@hsdsaunders]

Now you feel how the English do with regard to NHS prescriptions and parking.

[@Olyfrun]

You do realise how much funding Scotland receives from the rest of the UK? I imagine you don't intend to suggest giving that back...

[@hmq9052]

@@weskerwewe Pop a skirt on and do one of your funny poems

[@Thanoshadapoint]

@@OlyfrunDoes your point nullify theirs?

[@johnmurray1044]

@@Olyfrun I suggest you stop reading the right wing press and go and check the facts. Scotland is allowed to keep the income tax it has raised all other tax, vat, business, capital gains etc are kept by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Which means Scotland is allowed to keep one third of its own money the rest of it staying south of the border. Two parts of Britain make money one is the "City of London" the other is Scotland the rest is subsidised. Why do you think Westminster wants to keep us.

[@southafrica73]

It should have been started in Leeds.

[@SwatantraNandanwar]

Or Carlisle

[@stevenknill2179]

​@@SwatantraNandanwar or Aberdeen.

[@jujutrini8412]

@@SwatantraNandanwar I think it should have started in the North East.

[@Bungle2010]

Which would have defied common sense.

[@Bungle2010]

@@jujutrini8412 Pointless.

[@michaelgriffiths5723]

This entire project is just to benefit London and extend the commuter belt. I've got an idea move some job out of London!

[@scottadams4655]

Don't you want to move around the country quicker or do we just stagnate with technolog and infrastructure! The lack of vision by some is astonishing

[@Rob-lw8to]

How do you just move jobs out of London?

[@daboss897]

​@@scottadams4655 well given the current train ticket pricing it's irrelevant as to how fast you can travel. If you can't afford it you ain't going.

[@michaelgriffiths5723]

@@Rob-lw8to move the house of commons to another city. Move investment equally around the UK

[@neilogden]

@@scottadams4655 and it's not just about speed of travel, it's about capacity. There is very little space left on the existing infrastructure

[@BrRizzy1]

Tories bonkers as usual to pare HS2 down to a line beginning in the middle of nowhere and ending in Birmingham. It might be expensive but cutting it down just leaves it as a white elephant. Another sensible reversal by Labour, though too few of them at the moment.

[@jimbo1001-u9q]

where the money coming from ?...we are broke thanks to brexit

[@vernongoodey5096]

Remember as a pro rail British citizen in 4 years before this gets built we could have the Conservatives back in and cancel it again!

[@colincampbell4261]

Tories won't be back again for quite a few years if the right wing vote is still split with reform plc.

[@gorgu08]

@@colincampbell4261I reckon within five years this will be too far gone for them to cancel, the only reason Rishi kept phase 1 OOC was for the same reason ;-)

[@DavidKnowles0]

It likely the tunnel to Euston will start early next year, the crew in place and the machines to dig them are here, that why it will be announced in the budget. The main construction works on HS2 phase 1 will be finished by 2028, so work 2A can begin straight after, with the view that the Crewe section is done by early 2030s. The stations at Manchester and Crew also start construction.

[@joshuastead326]

Ah yes that northern power house, crew

[@hmq9052]

Crewe?

[@avono5330]

crew is a major travel hub

[@onlyme219]

@@avono5330 I presume not a major as Manchester, does Crew even have an airport?

[@Matthew-bu7fg]

@@onlyme219 their football team''s literally nicknamed the Railwaymen

[@skunclep1938]

@@onlyme219Funny that this is not only championed, but reinvigorated by the Mayor of Manchester then isn’t it?

[@onlyme219]

@@skunclep1938 Funny, I think it's pathetic from him

[@jamesreid8523]

What's the betting when HS2 is done and ready to go the drivers will go on strike

[@nick260682]

Well no, Labour has sorted out the problems with the workforce.

[@LukeThompson28-A]

It really has to go to Manchester for it to be worth doing, no offense to Crewe but it’s hardly a major destination

[@JT-nr2ss]

Going to Crewe unlocks a lot of capacity that only going to Birmingham doesn't. RailFocus has a great video about it.

[@Sc25515]

Crewe is a massive station.

[@TheRip72]

Crewe is not a major destination, it is a major interchange.

[@nicks4934]

Great news

[@AndrewLumsden]

Now get on with expanding a few airports as well.

[@davidpearson243]

Makes sense Brilliant News for the north

[@Seriously420]

Ooh….look at you with ‘sources’… No one actually cares anymore…if they ever did….

[@firestarter1888]

The Fat Controller will be happy.

[@graybray85]

Sadly it’s causing confusion and delay

[@leefisher816]

lol who wants to bet this will never happen

[@richiesquest3283]

This is great news.

[@danielbillingsley8073]

I dont trust Andy Street. Tried to improve transport in Birmingham City Centre with trams, and its been one delay after another affecting commuters, drivers and local businesses. I live in the area, so Ive seen how much chaos its continuing to cause (as the project still isnt finished long-past the deadline)

[@kanedNunable]

nothing to do with the tory gov hugely underfunding labour councils eh? they even admitted they did it

[@drbennyboombatz9195]

Where do they get "private" investment from?!?1 You'd have to be off your head to put money into this, what is it? Hedge funds gambling pensions?? It's funny how they frame things, like the other week that "expert" saying it was GREAT that the government got rid of 110 billion in gilts in record time!! HAHA (I wonder what % were index linked)

[@chazzerbox131]

Less cost meaning small trains and not on slab track it’s literally not worth doing it’s not brilliant news at all less trains than hs2 not as fast it’s a joke

[@deco2132]

Hardly a scoop when other podcasts have spoken about this extensively. It doesnt make a blind bit of difference - HS2 will be like HS1 - it will cost way more than it will ever pay back. It will take so long that by the time its completed it will not touch the capacity requirements considering the continued high immigration figures. Also how will it be powered considering we are already having blackout warnings, the increase in demand on the grid but no reliable energy sources such as nuclear being built??

[@BobbyGardiner-zt5zp]

Scotland paying as per usual.

[@Bungle2010]

Hardly.

[@redeye.]

If it just been high capacity and not high speed the cost would have significantly less as would have the time to build and related controversy. This originated in the original design and tendency for politicians to want to grandstand. Still not convinced that cost benefit analysis stacks up versus other possible investment and infrastructure projects..

[@BehlulNpkz]

Labour really impressing, getting things done. This is what happens with adults in charge.

[@mrpath99]

What a total waste of money. Pity they did not spend the money on the rest of the rail network only benefits Londoner’s getting to Brum 10 minutes earlier being a non stopper.

[@PaulDyas-y9h]

James has a red face, wonder why

[@SOBNo1]

The Catholic boy under the desk

[@anonymoushuman8962]

This is a waste of money. Who had this idea? I can’t even drive down the road without hitting a pothole. Why don’t they just spend all that money on fixing the roads, improving ACCESS and services and drug access to the NHS. They could have used this money to also build a five or six lane freeway from north to south land east to west like the Autobahns in Germany. Who wants to ride on a train when we could have a massive autobahn.

[@nicks4934]

Low carbon travel?

[@thesmallerhalf1968]

Utter drivel. Just building more roads is proven to be a recipe for more road congestion. You build a British autobahn. Great but what happens at each end? More congestion. One train will move 1000s of tonnes of freight. A single truck will do 40-45. Do the math, as they say in America.

[@SOBNo1]

​@@thesmallerhalf1968 How do you get the goods to the train and it will.cost a fortune