Confirmed : HS2 West Midlands-Manchester line to be scrapped and replaced with other projects.

[Bletchleyite]

400m trains captive on the high speed line

400m trains could run to Birmingham. I very much doubt 400m trains will run to Manchester now, that was never in the Phase 1 plan, it required Phase 2A *and* 2B. It'll either be 200m trains, or they will order a mid-length similar to the Pendolinos for the classic services.

If (a) and (b) are reasonably close on cost, to me I would have ended at OOC but have a longer line.

Euston is far, far more useful than paralleling the Trent. It would be very unpopular if it terminated in a West London suburb - it really would be a white elephant then.

Without Euston it's of no value whatsoever.

Also it's easier to build 2A later as it's mostly farmland, if Euston was canned the land would be sold and that would be that.

 

[MadMarsupial]

Has the section of HS2 to East Midlands Parkway been mentioned at all?

This BBC quote makes it clear that it is also dead.
" Rishi Sunak has just said he's cancelling "the rest of the HS2 project" - meaning everything outside the London to Birmingham leg, which is already under construction."

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Has the section of HS2 to East Midlands Parkway been mentioned at all?

Only in the phrase "I am cancelling the rest of the HS2 project".

 

[Deepgreen]

"Every penny saved will go to other transport projects" - there it is, the latest morsel on the conveyor belt of lies...

 

[snowball]

Only in the phrase "I am cancelling the rest of the HS2 project".

Indeed. Presumably the scarcely-yet-started study on getting from East Midlands Parkway to Leeds will be aborted.

 

[BanburyBlue]

what is the Midlands Rail Hub?

 

[Wynd]

Calling Bald Rick, you corrected me some time ago for saying this would not go to manchester. Im nothing if not magmanimous in victory, but this is absolutley nothing to celebreate. Hugey dissapointing.

HS2 will cost £100B. Once. It boosts UK GDP by £100B every year. This is truly penny wise and pound foolish.

HM Treasury wins again. Every UK citizen will lose out.

You pay, they spend, and life in the UK gets harder. Rinse and repeat.

If any of you think the £36B will materialise, please get in touch directly, I have a number of beutiful bridges for sale. Why cancel a project that is already being built, if not for saving money, only to go and spend the money elsewhere. HMT must think we are fools.

Now, when is this going to be announced in Parliament? When will this be debated?

Will L Hoyle find a spine and recall parliamnet? This is a huge policy change, one that has not been mandated by the electorate, it must be debated in the House.

How has Rishi concluded that he has a mandate for this action, or any other "policy" he announced?

This UK Government has little to no legitimacy left, it is 100% time for an election.

 

[HurdyGurdy]

Without Euston it's of no value whatsoever.

The line needs a working terminal to allow it's capacity to be utilised, but Euston could be considerably descoped from the 10 platform monster formerly planned

 

[Howardh]

Indeed. Presumably the scarcely-yet-started study on getting from East Midlands Parkway to Leeds will be aborted.

So much for north/midlands connectivity.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Indeed. Presumably the scarcely-yet-started study on getting from East Midlands Parkway to Leeds will be aborted.

And the one from Liverpool to Millington, both in the NR camp.
Oh, and alternatives to the Golborne link.

They can now turn their attention to electrifying Crewe/Warrington-Chester-Holyhead...

 

[SirDanielGooch]

There is no point even discussing the “other projects” for northern transport. It’s a promise made in the same breath as the previous one being broken, by a prime minister a year away from being kicked to the curb.

Thankfully Euston will be completed, but the London/everywhere else divide is laid bare once again

 

[snowball]

what is the Midlands Rail Hub?

A package of proposed upgrades around the West Midlands including the Bordesley Chords and extra tracks at places like Water Orton and Kings Norton.

 

[DarloRich]

same old Tories, same old insert expletive.

• The detail on the 30 minute Bradford > Manchester journey should be fun!
• What does "bring back the Don Valley line" mean?
• I am sure some Tories donors will coin themselves silly on the "Euston Development Zone"
• Electrify north Wales coast? Why - beyond marginals
• Upgrade the "energy coast line" (?) - Assume more marginals with loudmouth MP's that need appeasing.

the one sensible suggestion is the Leeds tram but none of this is going to happen - get these clowns out. Don't fall for this silliness. Election now.

 

[Thirteen]

Will be interesting what Labour proposes in their conference next week, I'm not sure if they'll commit to restoring the rest of HS2.

 

[D869]

Let there be no doubt, Sunak's plan is a switch from rail to road building.

 

[LTJ87]

The full list is online.

I’ll believe it when I see it but it does mention reopening the Ivanhoe line:

Find out about every new transport project in your region

As a result of the decision to scrap the extension of HS2, every region will now receive investment in the modes of transport that matter to you most.

www.gov.uk

North West​

• Improving connectivity in all six Northern city areas: Nearly £4 billion to improve connectivity, which could pay for schemes such as the extension of the Manchester Metrolink to Heywood, Bolton, Wigan and Manchester Airport and bus rapid transit corridors in Manchester.
• New fund to transform rural travel: A brand new £2.5 billion fund to transform local transport for smaller cities, and towns. This new money could pay for new stations, further electrification, bus corridors and new integrated public transport networks.
• Energy Coast Line between Carlisle, Workington and Barrow upgraded: Improving capacity and journey times, enabling trains every 30 minutes between Carlisle, Workington, and Whitehaven
• Contactless & smart ticketing: £100 million will be shared across the North and Midlands to support seamless travel by enabling contactless or smartcard payment.
• Fixing potholes: £3.3 billion long-term road resurfacing fund for North alone will fix potholes causing misery for drivers and more than £500 million in funding will be provided for two major road schemes around Manchester. These include a new link road between the M62 and the M60, Manchester’s ring road and the busiest freight route outside the M25. The scheme will help tackle congestion and reduce delays.
• £300 million for 9 smaller road schemes: Including the A582 South Ribble Distributor, Kendal Northern Access Route, and the Wigan East-West Route.
• £2 bus fare will also be extended: Will run to the end of December 2024 instead of rising to £2.50 as planned. This will mean passengers on a bus journey from Lancaster to Kendal will save £12.50 every time they travel.
• £700 million bus funding package in the North: More buses and more frequent routes, including a new service to Royal Blackburn Hospital, doubling the service between Northwich and Chester and more buses to industrial estates and business parks.
• £1.5bn for Greater Manchester: Comes from the City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement 2 budget - an unprecedented investment in local transport networks.
• Nearly £1bn for Liverpool City Region: Comes from City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) 2 budget, plus a further £600 million on top – funded from HS2. That is more than double their allocation under the last round.

North East​

• 75 per cent more funding for improved connectivity: Benefiting millions of people living in the towns and suburbs around Newcastle and Teesside, funding new roads in the Tees Valley.
• Dualling A1: Funding to dual a section of the A1 between Morpeth and Ellingham.
• £460 million for smaller road schemes: Including the Blyth Relief Road.
• Reopening stations: Communities in the North East will be reconnected, including a new station at Ferryhill, Co Durham. The Leamside line, closed in 1964, will also be reopened.
• Funding for contactless and smart ticketing: Supporting seamless travel by enabling contactless or smartcard payment.
• Fixing potholes: Funding to combat potholes causing misery for drivers in the region.
• £2 bus fare extended: More buses to industrial estates and business parks.
• £1.8 bn for the North East from the City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement 2 and HS2 funding.
• £1 bn for Tees Valley.

Yorkshire & Humber​

• £2.5 billion West Yorkshire mass-transit system: Better connections to Bradford and Wakefield. Leeds will no longer be the biggest European city without a mass-transit system, with up to seven lines potentially created as part of a transformed network, eventually linking Leeds to Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, and Wakefield.
• Hull brought into Northern Powerhouse Rail network: Reducing journey time to Leeds from 58 minutes to just 48. The number of trains between Hull and Sheffield. Journeys from Hull to Manchester will drop from 107 to 84 minutes, enabling two fast trains to Leeds.
• Sheffield-Leeds line electrified and upgraded: Giving passengers a choice of three to four fast trains an hour with journey times cut from 40 to 30 minutes. A new mainline station for Rotherham will also be added to the route, boosting capacity by 300 per cent.
• Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Sheffield electrified and upgraded: Cutting journey times from 51 to 42 minutes, and increasing the number of fast trains on the route from two to three per hour, doubling capacity.
• Reopening train lines: Communities will be reconnected, including through the restoration of the Don Valley Line between Stocksbridge and Sheffield Victoria, and new stations at Haxby Station, near York, Waverley, near Rotherham, and the Don Valley Line from Sheffield to Stocksbridge.
• Contactless and smart ticketing: £100 million will be shared across the North and Midlands to support the development and roll-out of London-style contactless and smart ticketing.
• Nearly £4 billion to better connect all six Northern city areas: This could pay for schemes such as bus rapid transit corridors in Bradford and Leeds.
• £2.5 billion fund to transform local transport in 14 rural counties: This new money could finance projects like more electric buses in Harrogate and better bus-rail interchange in Scarborough.
• £460 million for smaller road schemes across the North: Like the Shipley Eastern Bypass, near Bradford, while a £1 billion roads package in the North could fund schemes like the A1-A19 Hickleton Bypass in Doncaster, easing pressure on traffic.
• £3.3 billion long-term road resurfacing fund for North alone will combat the potholes causing misery for drivers.
• £2 bus fare extended until the end of December 2024: More buses and more frequent routes, with more buses to industrial estates and business parks.
• £1.4 bn for South Yorkshire from savings from HS2 and the City Regional Sustainable Settlement.
• £1.3 bn for West Yorkshire. This includes a £500m downpayment for the West Yorkshire Mass Transit.

West Midlands​

• Reopening closed Beeching lines: including the Stoke to Leek line and the Oswestry to Gobowen line, with a new stop at Park Hall. A new station will be built at Meir, Stoke-on-Trent, on the existing Crewe to Derby line,
• Contactless and smart ticketing: £100 million will be shared across the North to support seamless travel by enabling contactless or smartcard payment.
• £2.2 billion fund to transform local transport: Rural counties such as Shropshire, smaller cities like Leicester and towns such as Evesham will receive funding which could pay for smaller, more demand-driven buses in rural areas as well as funding the refurbishment of Kidsgrove and Longport stations, near Stoke-on-Trent.
• £250 million for smaller road schemes: Including the Shrewsbury North Western Relief Road and the A4123 Birchley Island, near Oldbury. A Midlands Road Fund worth nearly £650 million will be launched for new roads.
• £230 million for more bus services: Increased frequency of bus services in the Midlands, which could be spent on new bus stops around Telford and park and ride upgrades elsewhere in Shropshire and new bus lanes in Herefordshire.
• £2.2 billion for the Midlands to combat potholes: Fixing roads causing misery for drivers.
• £2 bus fare extended: Until the end of December 2024 instead of rising to £2.50 as planned.
• £1 billion more for local transport funding in West Midlands:  This includes £100 million to deal with ongoing metro and Arden Cross cost pressures, £250 million to accelerate local transport projects over the next five years.

East Midlands​

• Increased rail capacity: The number of trains between Leicester and Birmingham will be doubled from two to four per hour.
• £1.5 billion for East Midlands City Region Mayor: Transforming transport for 2.2 million people living in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. This is an average of almost £1000 for everyone in the two counties. The new Combined Authority could use the funding to extend the Nottingham Tram system to serve Gedling and Clifton South and connect Derby to East Midlands Parkway with a Bus Rapid Transit System.
• Reopening Beeching Line stations: Including the Ivanhoe Line between Leicester and Burton, connecting 250,000 people across South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire, with new stations en route.
• Funding for the Barrow Hill Line: Between Chesterfield and Sheffield Victoria, with a new station at Staveley in Derbyshire.
• Contactless and smart ticketing: £100 million will be shared across the North and Midlands to support contactless or smartcard payment.
• Fixing two major pinch points on the A5: Funding a stretch of road between Hinckley and Tamworth, linking the M1 and M6, that serves more than one million people. Funding will also be provided for improvements to the A50/500 corridor between Stoke and Derby, cutting congestion for the 90,000 drivers who use the road each day and ensuring smoother journeys for drivers and freight around Rolls Royce, Toyota, Magna Park, and other major local employers.
• Midlands Road Fund worth nearly £650 million: Launched for new roads.
• £2.2 billion fund to transform local transport: Available in every part of the Midlands outside the mayoral combined authority areas and the new East Midlands combined authority - rural counties such as Shropshire, smaller cities like Leicester and towns such as Evesham.
• £250m will fully fund ten smaller road schemes in the Midlands: Including the A509 Isham Bypass, near Kettering, and the A43 between Northampton and Kettering.
• £2.2 billion for potholes: Funding for the Midlands to combat the potholes causing misery for drivers.
• £230 million for more bus services: Increasing frequency throughout the Midlands and the popular £2 bus fare will also be extended until the end of December 2024 instead of rising to £2.50 as planned.
• The East Midlands will get a brand new the City Regional Sustainable Transport settlement of over £1.5 billion as it embarks its new status as a Combined Authority next year.

East Anglia​

• Ely Junction to be transformed: providing an extra six freight trains per day with access to the Port of Felixstowe, removing thousands of HGVs from East Anglia’s roads.
• Remodelling of the Ely North and Haughley Junctions.
• Doubling train passenger services: on the Ely to King’s Lynn and Ipswich to Peterborough routes.
• £610 million to fund road schemes: ensuring the delivery of 39 road schemes across East Anglia, including the A10 between Ely and Cambridge.
• Access to a £2.8 billion roads resurfacing fund: combatting potholes.
• £2 bus fare extended: until the end of December 2024 instead of rising to £2.50 as planned.

South East​

• Funding to ensure the delivery of road schemes: This includes the A2 at Brenley Corner, a notorious bottleneck on the corridor to Dover.
• £290 million to deliver 14 road schemes: Roads across the South East set to be revitalised, among them the A259 between Bognor Regis and Littlehampton.
• Access to £2.8 billion to combat potholes: Fixing potholes causing misery for drivers in the South East, South West and East of England
• £1 billion fund will be launched for new road schemes
• £2 bus fare extended: Until the end of December 2024 instead of rising to £2.50 as planned.

South West​

• Funding for vital Exeter to Plymouth rail line: making it more resilient in the face of extreme weather.
• Opening more railway lines: between Cullompton and Wellington.
• A new station built at Tavistock: connecting it with Plymouth. Plus, five miles of track will be reinstated.
• £100 million in funding for a Mass Transit system: to revolutionise travel in and around Bristol.
• £140 million in funding to ensure the delivery of 12 road schemes: among them the A38 in North Somerset.
• A further £1 billion fund for new road schemes: around the South West, South East and East of England.
• Access to £2.8 billion roads resurfacing fund to combat the potholes.
• £2 bus fare extended: Until the end of December 2024 instead of rising to £2.50 as planned.
• £0.8bn from the City Regional Sustainable Transport Settlement 2 budget and savings from HS2.

Wales​

• £1 billion to improve transport connectivity in Wales: North Wales to benefit from a £1 billion investment to electrify the North Wales Main Line, bringing parts of the region within an hour of Manchester and strengthening connections across the Union.
• Faster journey times, increased capacity, and more frequent, reliable services: Network North will build better connectivity across the North and Midlands.

Scotland​

• Reducing congestion for the communities of Ashington, Felton, Alnwick, and Amble: by delivering the long-awaited upgrade to A1 coastal route between Newcastle, Berwick-upon-Tweed, and Edinburgh.
• Faster journey times, increased capacity, and more frequent, reliable services: Network North will build better connectivity across the North and Midlands.
• Pinch points on the A75 solved: providing better links between the Cairnryan ferry terminals serving Northern Ireland and southwest Scotland.
• Further investment in the M6 and Cumbria, and the A77 towards Glasgow.

 

[D869]

same old Tories, same old insert expletive.

• The detail on the 30 minute Bradford > Manchester journey should be fun!
• What does "bring back the Don Valley line" mean?
• I am sure some Tories donors will coin themselves silly on the "Euston Development Zone"
• Electrify north Wales coast? Why - beyond marginals
• Upgrade the "energy coast line" (?) - Assume more marginals with loudmouth MP's that need appeasing.

the one sensible suggestion is the Leeds tram but none of this is going to happen - get these clowns out. Don't fall for this silliness. Election now.

Don Valley line probably means Stocksbridge to Sheffield Victoria.

 

[The Planner]

A package of proposed upgrades around the West Midlands including the Bordesley Chords and extra tracks at places like Water Orton and Kings Norton.

Which again is just announcing something already well developed anyway.

 

[pnjman]

The full list is online.

I’ll believe it when I see it but it does mention reopening the Ivanhoe line:

Find out about every new transport project in your region

As a result of the decision to scrap the extension of HS2, every region will now receive investment in the modes of transport that matter to you most.

www.gov.uk

From the link:

Reopening closed Beeching lines: including the Stoke to Leek line and the Oswestry to Gobowen line, with a new stop at Park Hall.

This has to be a joke.

 

[DarloRich]

Don Valley line probably means Stocksbridge to Sheffield Victoria.

unless they propose to use the Woodhead route for some of thier none highspeed but slightly quicker railway developments

 

[Western Sunset]

4th October 1976 - Introduction of High-Speed 125mph train services in the UK.
47 years later, to the day...
4th October 2023 - Cancellation of further High-Speed lines in the UK.

Oh the irony.

 

[BAFRA77]

From the link:

Reopening closed Beeching lines: including the Stoke to Leek line and the Oswestry to Gobowen line, with a new stop at Park Hall.

This has to be a joke.

The New Saints FC will be delighted - they get a shiny new station next to their home ground.

 

[hwl]

On the face of it, other than less spending in Euston (hmmmm), the announcements are great - it's all needed, but not instead of HS2, but in addition to HS2.

Net change compared to the current plan. In reality that means they are looking to make much more from over site development and by using the Development Corporation powers (e.g. Docklands) they can eliminate the LB Camden demands for at least a billion in S106 payments (which will really annoy Keir's association members). They are aiming to make Euston redevelopment far more profitable - the NET cost will go down radically...

 

[boabt]

Will be interesting what Labour proposes in their conference next week, I'm not sure if they'll commit to restoring the rest of HS2.

Of course they won't. Labour are petrified of promising anything that will cost money.

 

[fishwomp]

How would you get trains from Manchester to Bradford in 30 minutes without major tunneling? Guess have to wait and see.

Current fastest is 53 mins with 4 stops. Lop those off, and you're down to 45 - although it'd be nuts to go for that over Halifax stop. Build a station at the top of Bradford not the bottom of the hill, you're down to 40.

Or just rename Halifax to Bradford Halifax, like the airports would.

 

[SteveM70]

The full list is online.

I’ll believe it when I see it but it does mention reopening the Ivanhoe line:

Find out about every new transport project in your region

As a result of the decision to scrap the extension of HS2, every region will now receive investment in the modes of transport that matter to you most.

www.gov.uk

Now I've only got maths A level, so my grasp of numbers won't be on the same scale as a bloke who's worked for an investment bank and a couple of hedge funds, and whose family wealth can't be shown on a conventional calculator because there aren't enough zeroes, but how does this make sense:

Screenshot from the gov.uk link referred to above.

"£2 bus fare will also be extended: Will run to the end of December 2024 instead of rising to £2.50 as planned. This will mean passengers on a bus journey from Lancaster to Kendal will save £12.50 every time they travel"

So deferring the planned 50p fare increase saves every passenger £12.50 per journey! He's a miracle worker!!

 

[Mikey C]

This BBC quote makes it clear that it is also dead.
" Rishi Sunak has just said he's cancelling "the rest of the HS2 project" - meaning everything outside the London to Birmingham leg, which is already under construction."

But it seems odd that it's Manchester that has grabbed all the headlines, when cancelling the East Midlands Parkway section will have a major impact on Derby and Nottingham.

 

[brad465]

But it seems odd that it's Manchester that has grabbed all the headlines, when cancelling the East Midlands Parkway section will have a major impact on Derby and Nottingham.

Maybe because the conference is in Manchester?

 

[DarloRich]

Looking at the linked "Network North" document above and putting aside the, erm, aspirational nature of many of the suggestions, i am shocked to learn that East Anglia, the South East, the south west and wales are all part of the "north".

Who knew.

( PS Good to see the A1 duelling in the list. I wonder if it will happen this time.............)

 

[swt_passenger]

Let there be no doubt, Sunak's plan is a switch from rail to road building.

And yet road schemes such as the A1 in north Northumberland had only recently been kicked into the long grass by deferring the decision for a second or third time. They certainly gave the impression it was all but cancelled.