Work on HS2 in Lichfield and the surrounding villages will continue despite the cancellation of the northern leg of the line, the Transport Secretary has confirmed.
Mark Harper clarified the situation in a letter to Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant.
It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed HS2 would no longer run to Manchester.
In his letter, Mr Harper said that the nothing had changed in terms of plans to link Birmingham with the West Coast Main Line at Handsacre as part of Phase 1.
“As you will know, spades are in the ground already and we will continue to deliver Phase 1 of HS2 from London to the West Midlands, with branches to central Birmingham and to Handsacre – where HS2 trains for Manchester, Liverpool and Scotland will join the West Coast Main Line.
“This will provide crucial extra capacity alongside the West Coast Main Line, nearly doubling capacity from 134,000 to 250,000 passengers per day across the primary long-distance operator on the West Coast Main Line and Phase 1 thanks to a major upgrade of the Handsacre Junction which will allow more trains to reach key destinations north of Birmingham.
“Journey times from Birmingham to central London will be cut by half an hour, to just 49 minutes. This will also bring London within two hours of Manchester.”
Mark Harper
There had been uncertainty over what would happen to the line north of Birmingham earmarked for Phase 1 of HS2, with work already having taken place on aspects such as a tunnel under the A38 at Streethay.
Speaking after the Prime Minister’s speech to the Conservative party conference yesterday (4th October), Mr Fabricant said:
“The announcement to cancel this costly project was a brave decision by the Prime Minister – and is the right one.
“Phase 1 will be completed. This not only includes the HS2 line from London to Birmingham, but up to where it joins the west coast main line near Handsacre just north of Lichfield.”
Michael Fabricant
Maybe I’m wrong but I understood the existing main Line is already at capacity? Adding HS trains surely will just make the situation worse?
Just some clarity and honesty from politicians would help the public understand surely? It’s all just grandstanding and self interest.
Has this been looked onto? I think not. Reading this article suggests HS2 trains will continue their journey to Manchester using the West Coast Mainline. The new HS2 trains will be fitted with ETCS ( European Train Control System) for these trains to run on the WCML the signalling system on route will have to be changed. Good luck with that happening in the next 10 years and it cost.
It was said I believe by sir Michael that it would travel up the West Coast Mainline at 140 mph. That is far faster than current traffic so it can’t
I’m confused now! The Midland News, BBC today, said that the local Wood End Farm would no longer be on the route, much relief was expressed. This cannot be the case if HS2 is going up to Hansacre. Exactly what is happening in this area? Can our MP be more specific please?
When the West Coast Main Line was modernised in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the initial plan was to introduce in-cab signalling. This would have allowed running speeds of 140mph.
This plan was abandoned due to cost over-runs (the UK has always been useless at building big projects to budget) and conventional signalling was used. This reduced speeds to 125mph and inflicted massive unsightly signalling gantries on people living near the line, including people living in Handsacre.
If in-cab signalling is introduced, it should be possible to run more – and faster – trains on the West Coast Main Line running north from Handsacre …. but I wouldn’t bet on the present – or any other government – getting this right.
More muddled thinking on the part of the Department of Transport. The route between, the proposed HS2 phase 1 junction and Staffod is one of the most capacity and speed constrained sections of the WCML. The two track section between Colwich and Whitehouse Junctions plus the alignment between Colwich and Stafford restricts both capacity anrd line speed. Adding HS2 traffic over this section will do nothing to enhance WCML capacity which was the prime justification for HS2
In addition to this issue the berthing capacity of Old Oak Common which is the current proposed southern terminus is incapable of supporting the service level stated.
The Department needs to think again come up with
more practical and sensible ideas.
The usefulness of HS2 for going to London is compelling. Just take a train from Lichfield to Birmingham New Street, then a taxi or ‘bus to the HS2 terminus, then HS2 to Old Oak Common, then find your way along the six miles to Euston.
No sweat! Surely much faster than the slowcoach main-line train from Lichfield Trent Valley.
Just one big problem. This government.
Now that the line is effectively ending in the Lichfield District, let’s have a station for Lichfield. We’ve suffered so much misery from this, at least let’s have some benefit of a train which gets to Birmingham in what, 10 minutes? And London in under an hour. Would attract lots of investment to this area in my view and increase its desirability.
@alec r good to see someone introducing some facts and knowledge into this debate. You do get the feeling these projects are developed using a map and a pack of crayons. Letting local and national politicians loose on these projects is a recipe for disaster. Sadly there’s only one Chartered Engineer in Parliament and it’s not Michael Fabricant!
@James, I’ve raised this concept together with the Alrewas line with the councils and our MP. A dull thud could be heard, no vision, technically dumb, rather squabble with each other about whether to wear a tie to Council meetings.
I’ve also raised the issue with HS2 Ltd and Midlands Connect.
Sadly, Hans, that is not the case. 35/40 minutes to New Street, 15/20 minutes to exit station and reach Curzon Street, then travel time, not to London Euston but a new station with no direct underground link.
@Alex R
“If ETCS is adopted on the HS2 route the same trains could operate over the existing WCML using the existing signalling with TPWS”
Are you suggesting that HS2 trains would travel on the West Coast Main Line using the existing signalling system rather than the in-cab signalling they would use on the Handsacre to Old Oak Common part of the HS2 line?
Surely this would be pointless. Isn’t the WCML running at (near) capacity? The way to run more trains on the track is to improve signalling.
Pleased you’ve confirmed in-cab signalling was dropped from the WCML modernisation because of cost over-runs: ” retrospective fitting some 6000 traction unit cabs required by the train operators was unaffordable.”
An aside: Our garden borders the WCML We endured years of misery from the chaotic work – noise, dust, incompetent tree surgery on our trees, powerful floodlights set up in the wrong direction shining into our bedrooms rather than on the tracks. We got £700 compensation.
Bit rich our MP criticising the BBC for saying HS2 would only go to Birmingham when he had to write to the Minister to find out what’s going on. Then he does sound a lot of time on GB News.
In response to Mark Webster. It is more than likely that HS2 trains will operate on the WCML using existing signalling because I very much doubt that the entire route could be fitted with ET CS in the timescale involved. A potential solution might be to provide ETCS level 2 piggybacked on the conventional multiple aspect signalling in a similar manner to the way the TASS system supports tilt train operation.
It should also be remembered that line speed is related to track alignment as well as signalling
Current design for HS2 trains is that will not have tilt capability. Hence unless vast sums are spent on realignment of the WCML they are likely to be limited to 110 mph When running on WCML.
@Alan R
Would the ECTS overlay you suggest significantly increase the capacity on the WCML north of Handsacre?
I’m curious. As a railway expert, do you think the Government’s cancellation of Phase 2 is a good idea? Will running HS2 trains on the WCML to the north alongside the existing trains result in a significantly improved service to travellers?
Response to Mark Webster
Regardless of my views to terminate HS2 with a connection to WCML in the Armitage area is the worst
possible location on the WCML. See my earlier comments for reasons I made the Project aware of these issues ba m in 2014 but received zero response.
Unless an intill the entire WCML and all trains using it is resignalled using ETCS there any capacity or speed enhancement will require significant investment.
Remember that speed improvement above 125mph is dependent on track alignment in addition to cab signalling.
In summary the proposed termination of HS2 at the current proposed location is a worst case outcome and will erode rather than improve line capacity which is required for freight traffic if we are serious about delivering net zero.
@Alec R Thanks for that. Very clear.