De-scoped ‘hub vision’ is a longer platform
On 9 March the government announced its support for ‘the’ Crewe HS2 hub, following a consultation which yielded just 146 responses (some of which were categorised as null responses, including: identical responses from a single respondent, blank responses, and requests for specific information).
[Government confirms commitment to Crewe Hub vision, gov.uk, 9 Mar 2018]
“… the government’s support for the Crewe Hub vision means plans for HS2 Phase 2a from the West Midlands to Crewe will be modified to include:
* extension of Platform 5 at Crewe to 400 metres, to allow for the splitting and joining of HS2 services, which also opens opportunities to serve Stoke-on-Trent with HS2
* a more efficient design for the proposed platform on the Manchester independent lines, incorporating a transfer deck to the main station
* a change to the design of the southern connection from HS2, so that HS2 joins, and takes over, the central 2 lines on the existing network
The Secretary of State also intends to ask the franchise operator, West Coast Partnership, to include a high speed service to Stoke-on-Trent in its market development and service plans.”
But what exactly is ‘the’ HS2 hub?
It certainly doesn’t resemble what Cheshire East council were promoting, or even what Crewe town council were promoting.
[Government confirms commitment to Crewe Hub vision, gov.uk, 9 Mar 2018]
Combined with a HS2 junction north of Crewe (which will be considered as part of Phase 2b), this could allow 5 to 7 HS2 trains per hour to call at Crewe and improve connectivity on the lines from Crewe to Shrewsbury, Chester and Stoke-on-Trent (subject in some cases to further investment beyond Crewe itself).
To be fair, beleben is consistently sceptical of HS2, not least because of its cost, so you can hardly complain when the government pares back part of it to the essential minimum. The worst aspect of the government’s response is the predictable mantra that it would be “unfeasible for any Manchester train to stop at Crewe”, thus ensuring that the Crewe Hub has only two trains per hour to London, yet, weirdly, three to Birmingham. I guess they must know that everyone from Cheshire and North Wales really wants to go to Brum. Silly me for thinking otherwise.
Moomo
March 14, 2018 at 9:42 pm