>A new trans-pennine rail tunnel from Liverpool-Manchester-Sheffield under the peaks, and Manc-Leeds-Hull would add vastly more value than a faster connection between already well connected cities.
"A faster connection between already well connected cities" HS2 is not.
Okay, well it is, but only as a side-effect.
HS2 is all about capacity; The West-Coast Mainline (WCML) is full.
Intercity trains have to compete for paths with regional and local trains (plus freight trains) which run slower and stop much more frequently.
Moving the intercity trains to their own dedicated track means they won't be slowed down by slower trains, it also means we can put more trains on the WCML.
This in turn means that, although HS2 is a North-South track, East-West trains will benefit. Hell, trains going in and out of Wales will benefit even though HS2 goes nowhere near Wales.
So why is HS2 high-speed if it's about capacity and not about speed? The simple answer is: Why not?
Building a high-speed track is actually not that much more expensive than building to the standards used on existing mainlines, but it does provide better long-term economic benefits.
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Now, a dedicated high-speed East-West line in the North is also well overdue. Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR; aka HS3) is what's planned here but they can't finalise the plans until the detailed plans for Phase 2 of HS2 are themselves finalised.
Why? Because there's no use in building NPR if it won't properly join up (both literally and figuratively) with HS2 which is the most pressing infrastructure need.
"A faster connection between already well connected cities" HS2 is not.
Okay, well it is, but only as a side-effect.
HS2 is all about capacity; The West-Coast Mainline (WCML) is full.
Intercity trains have to compete for paths with regional and local trains (plus freight trains) which run slower and stop much more frequently.
Moving the intercity trains to their own dedicated track means they won't be slowed down by slower trains, it also means we can put more trains on the WCML.
This in turn means that, although HS2 is a North-South track, East-West trains will benefit. Hell, trains going in and out of Wales will benefit even though HS2 goes nowhere near Wales.
So why is HS2 high-speed if it's about capacity and not about speed? The simple answer is: Why not?
Building a high-speed track is actually not that much more expensive than building to the standards used on existing mainlines, but it does provide better long-term economic benefits.
---
Now, a dedicated high-speed East-West line in the North is also well overdue. Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR; aka HS3) is what's planned here but they can't finalise the plans until the detailed plans for Phase 2 of HS2 are themselves finalised.
Why? Because there's no use in building NPR if it won't properly join up (both literally and figuratively) with HS2 which is the most pressing infrastructure need.