HS2 lays the foundations for Birmingham’s new rail hub

[@mesnilman2327]

Now let's get it to Manchester and beyond

[@DavidKnowles0]

I settle for Crewe and for the Euston tunnel to be built with provision for a HS1 connection.

[@kityhawk2000]

​@DavidKnowles0 wouldn't even need to be that much of a tunnel. You could just build a lot of it alongside the North London line. It is already possible for a train to get from HS1 to the ECML and WCML it's how the Claedonian sleeper is able to run from Euston up the ECML when the WCML is closed for maintenance

[@comeoutdoorswithus4406]

HS2 didn't have to go from London as there is already a line there nor did they need to build the viaducts and bridges, they could of gone from birmingham main station's (any viable) and take it north towards Scotland. HS2 should of known better, A better railway starts from the Midlands and grows around the Midlands. There is the necessary rail infrastructure there already from London. Let's take it north from the Midlands

[@CRIMSONANT1]

​@@DavidKnowles0.. after yesterday's "scoop" by LBC Radio where they "revealed" that the government were planning on reviving the phase 2 section between Handsacre Junction & Crewe, they were shot down in flames within hours when the PM's official spokesman said .. "as we set out in the King's speech, the government will not reverse the decision to cancel phase 2 of HS2. As you know, the project has been repeatedly delayed, costs have spiralled & the project has clearly been hugely mismanaged". Also, Curzon Street will be useless on its own. Through passengers will have to walk to one of the other stations no matter where they're going & the tram connection will be so slow & circuitous, it'll probably be quicker to walk anyway! HS2 has been an absolute disaster since day one & continues to be so.

[@tomandrews-lu7xg]

Think it is more to do with capacity, the London - Birmingham line is at full capacity. This will allow haulage and slower line on the existing and a high speed and direct (less stops) train to flow on the other

[@janeknight3597]

Wow 15 years I think since I first saw this site. It has been a long time coming. The whole area has been greatly improved in that time. It’s going to be fantastic. So looking forward to the line being finished .

[@scottpeacock5492]

It took 15 years for HS1 to reach the Chunnel Tunnel in Dover from London and will take the same time for HS2 to be fully operational. Looking forward for HS2 to run fully across the UK then HS3 from East to West between Leeds and Manchester.

[@GaryJohnWalker1]

Keep up the great work and it'' make a vast improvement to central Brum - excellent engineering and effort the whole length of HS2. Here's hoping the Euston and Crewe links at least get reinstated. Most of the waste so far is due to the stop/start, hot/cold attitude to what is a long term project.

[@connor240298]

Thank you Andy Street!

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

Andy Street is not the West Midlands Mayor any longer

[@grahamstubbs4962]

If you wanted to accrue the benefits of the infrastructure build as early as possible, it seems odd that Curzon Street didn't start construction earlier. It didn't seem to be blocked by other construction. I guess that's all down to budgetary constraints.

[@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg]

You raise an interesting point. Presumably HS2 has decided on the construction programme but how have they arrived at what phases get built in what order ?

[@gitgut4977]

what i dont understand is: why the heck is the UK still building terminus stations and less through running stations on HS2? might be cheaper on the short run but shortsighted on the long run!

[@112Haribo]

A terminus station is the most effective way of bringing the station into the city center. A through station would a) divide the city in half or b) require massive tunneling (see for example Stuttgart, Germany). In the case of Birmingham, all trains would stop there anyway; there isn't a viable usecase for train running straight through.

[@bh3ader]

@@112HariboUnless you wanted to run through services to Wales and Bristol

[@xxrockraiderxx]

To be fair, in the original plans for the full Y network, only Curzon Street and Euston are terminus stations, the rest of the stations are through stations. Hopefully Phase 2A can get built and we'll see an expansion of the through station there to allow HS2 trains to integrate onto the WCML.

[@MrOlympuse410]

there is a junction in HS2's design, outside birmingham, to allow trains through

[@jamesnichols5163]

For Piccadilly there’s a good argument for an underground through station to allow northern powerhouse rail to run through to Leeds, but in Birmingham there’s no suitable alignment for high speed trains out to the north west of the station until you get the other side of Wolverhampton

[@yuhihui1089]

Labour bottles extending to Crewe - same old stagnation, while the UK continues to fade into irrelevance suffocated by ineptitude and NIMBYs

[@daranphilipson1025]

Exciting to see a progress.

[@CRIMSONANT1]

Progress? The Golborne link - scrapped. The Eastern leg - scrapped. The Northern leg - scrapped. The disaster that is Euston station - " on hold" for two years & even if Chancellor Rachel Reeves gives it the go-ahead in the upcoming budget, work won't continue until next year & it won't be operational until 2042 at the earliest. HS2 is an environmental disaster of epic proportions & Britain's biggest infrastructure mistake in half a century.

[@shaunwest3612]

Incredible work 👌👍

[@teddywoodburn1295]

1:20 *only _UK_ city with a highspeed rail connection to London

[@Inkyminkyzizwoz]

I was going to say, it wouldn't be if they'd built it in full!

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@Inkyminkyzizwoz it is being built in full Birmingham to London

[@Inkyminkyzizwoz]

@@peterwilliamallen1063But the rest of it isn't!

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@Inkyminkyzizwoz HS2 carries on past Birmingham to Handsacre where it will join the West Coast Main line, there are also plans a foot fopr a line to be built from Handsacre to Manchester with a speed of 185 MPH. HS2 is only an upgrade of the WCML nothing to do with Cities on the East Coast it is a West Coast project.

[@simoncroft9792]

About time too! Was looking like we would have approaches but no station.

[@RickD62]

If its going to be the 1st mainline intercity station in 130 years, this 7 platform intercity station, wont be open for 130 years. Belfast's new 8 platform intercity station opened less than a month ago!

[@AustraliaWorldwide]

This route needs to come in a future Train Sim World Dovetail need to get this license and make it happen would be epic to this release in the sim before officially launch in real life

[@INFINITY-oe4is]

What about us in the South West? Bristol, Cardiff, Gloucester?

[@amcf2000c]

what about the east side of the country?

[@virgosfitness5602]

So many negative comments you’d think they paid for HS2 out there own pocket just sit back and enjoy the process

[@richardb3363]

Who is paying for it then ? The government borrows the money and our taxes pay for the massive debt. Some of us do feel negative because we would like our taxes to be used for something that will actually benefit the country. What is there to enjoy ?

[@barrypickles6546]

Sit back and enjoy the process of a tax catastrophe, a line from nowhere to nowhere and crippled public services.

[@Chrisbluebrum]

That site has looked the same for the past 7-8 years, Hopefully it changes quicker.

[@horatiohuskisson5471]

Why is it a terminus? Shouldn’t it be a through run?

[@DavidKnowles0]

Budget they didn't want to spend money building underground tunnels and stations. Even though it would have been much better. Manchester is fighting its corner demanding an underground tunnels and through station.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@DavidKnowles0 Nothing to do with budgets and spending money, to build an underground Station in Birmingham the size of Curzon Street would of caused may hem in Birmingham City Centre

[@barrypickles6546]

No it wouldnt, they had the land at curzon street they could have used as a base and put tunnels through to newsteet. But then again they could have used the stratford line to snowhill and through onto wolverhampton up the metro line, bridges station and capacity already intact.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@barrypickles6546 They could not put tunnels through to New Street station as there is no room for tunnel nd Birmingham New Stret Staion is not big enough to take these HS2 trains, plus it is totaly congested and this is the reasn for HS2 and Curzon Street to relieve Birmingham New Street.

[@barrypickles6546]

@@peterwilliamallen1063 yes, unlike Crossrail where there was room for a tunnel, there is probably no soil to put a tunnel through either, making a tunnel impossible.

[@bigsmerdo]

0:18 unfortunate name lol

[@iking95249]

First thing I thought as well. Poor guy

[@joaocarlosseixas]

Huw!! How can people be named “Huw”? 🫢

[@barrypickles6546]

It will only be a rail hub if the line continues to newstreet, they did this before, unfortunatley this meant that curzon street became obsolete and it got knocked down. Maybe thats what is meant?

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

The rail hub is being built by connecting Birmingham Curzon Stret Station to an upgraded and expanded Birmingham Moor Street Station

[@barrypickles6546]

@@peterwilliamallen1063 news to me. I have not heard of this.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@barrypickles6546 Well living in Birmingham take it from me it is happening and has been mentioned on KZbin, there are plans to enlarge Moor Street Station by opening more platforms. put in two chords connecting the camp hill line nd the Birminghm to Derby line to Moor Street so that more trains can terminate at Moor Stret station which will be connected by walkways to Birmingham Curzon Street Sttion. They can not connect the HS2 line to Birmingham New Street due to the difference in height betwen the two lines and even the old Curzon Street was not connected to New Street due to height differences between the two stations, but the old Curzon Street was not knocked down as for years it was a freight station then a Royal Mail station before closing in the late 1960's and becomming a grade 1 listed building

[@gorgu08]

It tone deaf if the mayor to spruce the fact it (currently) is the only city that will have a high speed connection…..!

[@barrypickles6546]

If its the only city im not geting on it, ill never be able to get off.

[@richardbiddle4186]

How you going to stop the graffiti happening on those concrete viaduct pillars....

[@queeg6473]

Paint them with rainbow flags, that usually does the trick...No one would DARE touch them for fear of hurting someones feelings.

[@JohnHoward-wc9kk]

That's a genuine GOOD point you make there. Those pillars will be defaced whilst that is still a building site. A new tube train was graffitied before delivery the other day.

[@kabtvro]

From $6K to $73K that's the minimum range of profit return every week I thinks it's not a bad one for me, now I have enough to pay bills and take care of my family.

[@u1zha]

What's so cool about being the only city with a high speed rail connection to the capital city? Hopefully those words won't age well

[@trevorharrison1434]

Great if you only want to travel from Birmingham to Old Oak Common.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

Nope read the News, it is now going to London Euston

[@barrypickles6546]

And catch a bus there first. Or you could catch a train to newstreet and be at euston far earlier.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@barrypickles6546 So why would going to Curzon Street be any different to going to New Street Station, you still have to catch a bus mate both stations are in the City Centre plus no you wont get to Euston earlier by going to New Street as no trains when HS2 opens will be going from New Street to Euston exept semi fast London Northwestern services

[@barrypickles6546]

@@peterwilliamallen1063 well firstly because they have different names.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@barrypickles6546 Talking utter rubbish as Birmingham New Street will not run trains to London Euston when Curzon Street is open, only semi fast trains and you can get to both stations by Bus orTrm

[@thebrowns5337]

Is it too late to make the trains actually fast? With all the work on the track it seems such a shame the trains aren't exactly cutting edge.

[@sidesplitter9497]

HS2 trains are planned to run at up to 225 mph which would make them the fastest trains in commercial operation in the world (after maglev trains have been slowed down in Shanghai)

[@flyingfeline7110]

Totally pointless if it ends at Birmingham (or Crewe).

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

No the HS2 trains will go to Manchester, Liverpool and Scotland as well it does not end in Birmingham

[@chris01479]

​@@peterwilliamallen1063 What about the rest of the UK?

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@chris01479 What about the rest of the UK, people moaned about the cost so far so christ knows how much it would cost for the rest of the UK

[@chris01479]

@@peterwilliamallen1063 Yeah but we spent 100 billion to go from London to Birmingham, it would take us to go anywhere in the UK with that cost not to go to Birmingham. It's a joke.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@chris01479 Do your reserch mate, it is not just going from London to Birmingham, the line at the moment will go past Birmingham up to Handsacre in North Staffordshire where plans at the moment are to join it to the West Coast Main line taking HS2 trains to Manchester, Liverpool and Scotland and there are plans now to bulid a new connection from Handacre to Manchester and Crewe and it will free up the existing southern half of the WCML to create more capacity for the ever increasing freight services using the section of the WCML and it is no joke. What about the vast amounts of money they keep plouing into the London Underground, the East West Rail link etc etc, the thing is you can't please every one

[@alastairjhunter3666]

China has built 2,500km of high speed rail in less time than the uk HASN’T build 120 miles of high speed rail🙄.

[@PinkDuckUK]

Between 5 and 6 piles per day is a joke compared to new build infrastructure schemes in China. Tesla’s Shanghai factory there was done in just over 9 months from bare ground start.

[@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg]

The piling also includes secant piling. Do you-know-what they are ?

[@PinkDuckUK]

@@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg Yes, that’s why the count is up around the 2,000 mark.

[@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg]

Then you should know what the piling output is. They are piles that are drilled into the sides of each other to form a water resistant retaining wall and they are much slower to construct. So your comment about the joke outputs has no relevance.

[@PinkDuckUK]

@@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg The rate I stated has relevance. China construction using multiple crews and multiple piling machines and worked 24/7. Another hallmark of why HS2 is so massively over-budget.

[@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg]

But did the job in China have secant piling ? In China the planning restrictions are much less onerous than here in the UK. If we worked 24/7 we would be more comparable to China. Also the HS2 budget cost was a figure pulled out of the air. That is a joke.

[@jeremybarker7577]

Given the lack of direct connections - either cross-platform or up/down a level - to other rail services in and around Birmingham it's hardly a "rail hub" for the city.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

It will be connected to a vastly larger Moor Street Station

[@邱文昌-z8g]

The Brits spent £100 billion since the subprime crisis and couldn't build it all?

[@deauvilledad07]

It's great to see these videos but there never seems to be that much activity. 🤔

[@tutekohe1361]

Of course you need safety glasses to stand on a viewing platform 1.2km away from the work-site.

[@TR0N1X70]

What a massive waste of money...

[@xaiano794]

I agree, you are. We should stop paying for the maintenance of wires and pipes to your home - it doesn't benefit anyone else.

[@WMTPV2]

Honestly, Birmingham doesnt need 4 train stations. Just re-use the Moor Street station (Yes it is in use but just add more platforms)

[@barrypickles6546]

Snow hill is the same line as moorstreet, all they needed was a few more tunnels between the 2 and to take up the metro and hs2 would have been done.

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@barrypickles6546 I don't think you know a lot about Birmingham, HS2 trains will not fit into Birmingam New Street due to thaur length and New Street is grid locked and the whole reason HS2 nd Curzon Street Station is being built

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

Birmingham Moor Street and Snow Hill Station are on the Chiltern line and New Street is on the WCML and are not on the same alighnment as Birmingham New Street

[@barrypickles6546]

@@peterwilliamallen1063 and neither are on the hs2 line. What is your point?

[@peterwilliamallen1063]

@@barrypickles6546 Bwhat is MY point, trying to explain to the uninitiated people like your self that talk crap, I quote what you said " Snow Hill is the same line as Moor Street ( it is two words not Moorstreet ) all they needed was a few more tunnels between the 2 and to take up the metro and HS2 would of been done " first I have seen better grammer from a 6 year old, next the Metro runs on the streets of Birmingham and does join Birmingham Snow Hill station and Birmingham New Street station up with Birmingham Curzon Street Stations and can not be run in a tunnel under the City, next Birminghm Curzon Street and the HS2 route is on a different alighnment to both the line into Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill plus it would cost to much to tunnel under Birmingham, that is my point. Before going on about the impossible, do a bit of reserch on the City and the reasons for building HS2 as such, yes I do know what I am on about as I live in Birmingham near to where the HS2 line is being built

[@philipareed]

AITCH. It's AITCH.

[@Musafir9898]

Where? Didn't know he's involved in HS2

[@philipareed]

@@Musafir9898 Ah, you don't understand the alphabet.

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

1:56 Not a psychologist, nevertheless it makes me wonder what this otherwise pretty detailed siteplan says about the team's confidence and belief when: there's no N compass point, nor (obvious ok but) London that way arrows; the proposed tram tracks aren't shown really, just noted; the bus stops and routes aren't shown; the private car park is there but the pedestrian entrance from it isn't clear; the taxi drop off likewise; ditto bikes and yet... what we all want to see even though we all know where is which way to the Hauptbahnhoff ? Which direction is the city's main station? Why have you honoured Selfridge's with the only direction arrows on the whole thing AND NOT BLDY NEW STREET STATION‽‽‽ What does that say about the way this site is regarded by the team? Doesn't exactly look like you're jumping up and down full of pride.

[@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg]

Correct me if I have misunderstood what you are saying but I think you are saying the Contractor has set out the actual position of the site and the foundations from doing a freehand sketch on the back of a cigarette packet ?

[@JP_TaVeryMuch]

@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg Brilliant. Yeah that sums them up! Just weirdly highlighting places of lesser use to we future users and totally ignoring important ones. Bit too many words though, so sorry for that. Thanks for what you do, look forward to the next one.

[@brandon_downes]

12 monhts to do 2000.... barely 5 a day

[@DavidKnowles0]

By the middle of next year, so ten a day.

[@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg]

If you understood the construction programme, you would know there is no point in putting more piling rigs on site to speed up the piling prgramne if the follow on works can't be built at the same pace. You would be spending unnecessary money on piling for no benefit.

[@jimbo1001-u9q]

Hs2 the colossal money pit....why are we building it. ?

[@trainjedi9651]

for capacity, thats why

[@SelmanJulian]

Yes it is a vanity project and just creates more wealth for the construction industry at the expense of the environment, especially the destruction of ancient woodland, natural habitats and the effect this has on many species. This is all at a time of massive biodiversity loss of course. This sort of huge engineering project is not a model that works in the 21st century. Building more infrastructure like this caused environmental; damage on a huge scale when we should be focussing on nature based solutions to climate change and nature restoration - these things would really improve our quality of life and go a long way to addressing the most urgent problems we face in terms of future resilience and survival. Just like building new roads this railway will not serve a useful purpose in the long run because it does not address the fundamental causes of our pressing national problems. Alternative uses for this colossal amount of money would be things like improving our current infrastructure (like road surfacing), cheaper and more regular public transport, jobs related to building green infrastructure and nature restoration, reforestation and afforestation, flood resilience, moving towards better farming practices, ending river pollution... so many things.

[@trainjedi9651]

@@SelmanJulian HS2 isn't a vanity project??? as I said it's primarily to increase capacity on one of if not the busiest transport corridors in the country, if it doesn't get built even road travel will be affected It's idiots like you who protest it "harming" the environment which forced HS2 to go massively overbudget with unneeded numbers of environmental reviews and forcing it underground rather than acknowledging the fact it is a fully electric high speed railway (i.e. 0 direct carbon emissions) which would massively improve connectivity for this country; and be significantly higher capacity, lower impact and than any road or air-based solution. The width of the HS2 corridor (when completed) will be equivalent to a 2-3 lane road at most, compared to a 10+ lane motorway if it had been built as road transport with equal capacity - the amount of destruction that would cause is unimaginable Nevermind that HS2 Ltd are going out of their way to leave behind more wildlife and nature than there was before construction started

[@richardb3363]

@@SelmanJulian Very well said.

[@jimbo1001-u9q]

@@SelmanJulian i agree good comment...it will not be finished until 2029..at the earliest

[@geordiejohn]

what a waste of money just to be a half an hour early total waste

[@xaiano794]

The fact you don't understand this is about capacity not time shows how idiotic your assertion truly is.

[@wntr2980]

whole site has been a pile of dirt for over 5 years, stealing a wage these lot

[@Inkyminkyzizwoz]

No they aren't