Network Rail study into WCML South post HS2

[MidlandMainlie]

Network Rail have published a study looking at options for utilising the capacity on the WCML South of Crewe post HS2 phases 1 & 2A from Euston to Crewe. A hefty document at over 340 pages so will take some time to read.

https://sacuksprodnrdigital0001.blob.core.windows.net/regional-long-term-planning/North,%20West%20and%20Central/West%20Coast%20South%20Strategic%20Advice%202023.pdf

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I haven't read it all by any means, but these assumptions stood out for me:
- tilt/EPS de-commissioned south of Handsacre/Crewe when paths are transferred to HS2 - the subsequent non-tilt speed profile will be the one about to be introduced for class 805/7
- 9 out of 10 fast-line paths moved from WCML South to HS2, the 10th path being the Chester/North Wales one
- some electrification is anticipated to maximise stock utilisation: Crewe-Chester and Wolverhampton-Shrewsbury; also east and west of Bletchley on EWR
- remodelling at Colwich-Rugeley and Bletchley-Milton Keynes (where extra tracks are needed) is essential for an uplift in regional/freight traffic
- remodelling at Coventry and Nuneaton also desirable
- Crewe-Wilmslow-Manchester classic line capacity will be critical until HS2 Crewe-Manchester is open

 

[MidlandMainlie]

I haven't read it all by any means, but these assumptions stood out for me:
- tilt/EPS de-commissioned south of Handsacre/Crewe when paths are transferred to HS2 - the subsequent non-tilt speed profile will be the one about to be introduced for class 805/7
- 9 out of 10 fast-line paths moved from WCML South to HS2, the 10th path being the Chester/North Wales one
- some electrification is anticipated to maximise stock utilisation: Crewe-Chester and Wolverhampton-Shrewsbury; also east and west of Bletchley on EWR
- remodelling at Colwich-Rugeley and Bletchley-Milton Keynes (where extra tracks are needed) is essential for an uplift in regional/freight traffic
- remodelling at Coventry and Nuneaton also desirable
- Crewe-Wilmslow-Manchester classic line capacity will be critical until HS2 Crewe-Manchester is open

The bit about Bletchley-MKC is really interesting. Recommends 6 tracking and extra through platforms on East side of MKC along with development of the Bletchley Northeast Chord to segregate flows from EWR from the WCML, similar to what is proposed at Bedford.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Oh wow thanks for posting this. I will download and read as I am heading back to England right now for a vacation/holiday!

 

[Class 170101]

WCML south won't exactly help freight because very little of it operates solely on the WCML.

 

[The Planner]

Again, note its strategic advice, doesnt mean any of it will happen.

 

[Grimsby town]

Again, note its strategic advice, doesnt mean any of it will happen.

It doesn't mean it's going to happen but the west coast mainline isn't just going to be left empty after HS2. The document contains main planning principles which are almost no brainer options. I'd say they're a good bet to happen. These principles are:

Increased freight services

New limited stop London services twice an hour calling at Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield. This in addition to the current hourly train.

Hourly London services to Shrewsbury.

Coventry to London services calling at Rugby, MK and Watford Junction.

All or nearly all trains stopping at Milton Keynes.

Four new stations.

Continuing a Manchester to Euston station calling at Stockport, Macclesfield, Stoke, Rugby and Milton Keynes.

Faster services to Northampton from London.

 

[59CosG95]

Again, note its strategic advice, doesnt mean any of it will happen.

You should see the bumper Strategic Advice doc for the West Midlands published in October last year; that recommends seven further docs of Strategic Advice for the Walsall Area, Coventry Area, Wolverhampton Area, Longbridge Corridor, Solihull Corridor, Stourbridge Corridor and Water Orton Corridor! I think that this one being fleshed out will help enormously with those in the future.

 

[172007]

You should see the bumper Strategic Advice doc for the West Midlands published in October last year; that recommends seven further docs of Strategic Advice for the Walsall Area, Coventry Area, Wolverhampton Area, Longbridge Corridor, Solihull Corridor, Stourbridge Corridor and Water Orton Corridor! I think that this one being fleshed out will help enormously with those in the future.

Do you have a link for these please?

 

[waverley47]

Honestly, £350m for six tracking Bletchley-MCK, a north-east chord and two more through platforms seems like a bargain.

The Colwich junction stuff is a bit of a shame. The fact that nobody ever came along and either built a flyover or quad tracked Sharbrook tunnel means we have a junction that everyone can agree is completely not fit for purpose, but nobody can agree how to fix.

The combining the two junctions at Rugeley Trent Valley seems like madness, given I remember signing off on the study that recommended removing the Rugeley locals from the WCML, and turning Rugeley North Junction into a strange quirk of the past. I suppose that in the bold post-HS2 world we may have the capacity for extending the locals along the WCML to Stafford, but in the study we found that each one absolutely burned through paths like nobody's business.

 

[The Planner]

It doesn't mean it's going to happen but the west coast mainline isn't just going to be left empty after HS2. The document contains main planning principles which are almost no brainer options. I'd say they're a good bet to happen. These principles are:

Increased freight services

New limited stop London services twice an hour calling at Nuneaton, Tamworth, Lichfield. This in addition to the current hourly train.

Hourly London services to Shrewsbury.

Coventry to London services calling at Rugby, MK and Watford Junction.

All or nearly all trains stopping at Milton Keynes.

Four new stations.

Continuing a Manchester to Euston station calling at Stockport, Macclesfield, Stoke, Rugby and Milton Keynes.

Faster services to Northampton from London.

I know the people who wrote it, anything can and might not happen.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

So the increased freight paths would I assume be London Port to Golden Triangle of logistics rather than cross country from Felixstowe?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The Colwich junction stuff is a bit of a shame. The fact that nobody ever came along and either built a flyover or quad tracked Sharbrook tunnel means we have a junction that everyone can agree is completely not fit for purpose, but nobody can agree how to fix.

Shugborough.

HS2 is of course supposed to be the fix for Colwich, but it seems there is more to do.
This isn't a plan, or is funded, but it sure illustrates the options.

 

[Grimsby town]

I know the people who wrote it, anything can and might not happen.

Fair enough and yes there's always possibilities that things won't happen or priorities might change but the smart money is on those things happening. I'd be shocked if serving the larger trent valley stations and Shrewsbury aren't things that Avanti are considering. I'm a transport planner myself so I understand that things change and there's further processes that need to be followed etc.

 

[Rail Ranger]

Shugborough Tunnel.

 

[waverley47]

Oh course it's not Sharnbrook tunnel, that's entirely my mistake

 

[Tester]

Oh course it's not Sharnbrook tunnel, that's entirely my mistake

And of course there is no Sharnbrook tunnel - that's Wymington

 

[The Planner]

Fair enough and yes there's always possibilities that things won't happen or priorities might change but the smart money is on those things happening. I'd be shocked if serving the larger trent valley stations and Shrewsbury aren't things that Avanti are considering. I'm a transport planner myself so I understand that things change and there's further processes that need to be followed etc.

You would be surprised at the general despondancy at the minute.

 

[southern442]

Hourly London services to Shrewsbury.

This could quite nicely be an extension of a Birmingham service I assume if they're planning on electrifying this far?

 

[Mamorin]

Its nice to see that some stations could get extra services as a result of HS2.

A nice thing I noticed was Congleton could get what I think is 1tph to Birmingham and 1tph to Wolverhampton. (Please correct me if I have this wrong).

Both of those would be great improvements but there is no improvement to northbound services at Congleton like an extra service to piccadilly for example, I'm a bit surprised at that.

If the improved services at Congleton don't happen I won't be surprised since they rely on Handsacre Junction being built.

 

[LUYMun]

Am I the only one thinking that most diagrams in the report are presented in low resolution?

 

[MidlandMainlie]

Am I the only one thinking that most diagrams in the report are presented in low resolution?

No, I found them difficult to read to.

 

[cle]

Interesting plans - and glad to see that some TPTB are awake to the EWR/Bletchley potential and how it could be better.

Watford needs the Manchester call far more than Rugby, more so than multiple Birminghams and Northamptons.

 

[sot]

Forgive me if I am barking up the wrong tree, but there is repeated remarks about 'significant' revenue on routes that are not from the Euston terminus, could some of their figures (in this case or more cases) be swayed by split ticketing?

 

[Bletchleyite]

While I've only skimmed it, particularly interesting is that 6-tracking Bletchley-MKC (already partly the case) and providing a Denbigh Hall Chord (they call it Bletchley Northeast Chord) to allow East West Rail to operate Cambridge-MKC is a serious proposal, and not just me speculating away!

 

[a good off]

A Denbigh Hall chord combined with through running to Cambridge and Felixstowe would be very useful.

If all this actually gets built I’d suggest that Newmarket Tunnel gets rebuilt or a South to East chord gets built effectively creating a south triangle at Ely allowing through running from
Cambridge to Soham, plus double track…

 

[richieb1971]

A Denbigh Hall chord combined with through running to Cambridge and Felixstowe would be very useful.

If all this actually gets built I’d suggest that Newmarket Tunnel gets rebuilt or a South to East chord gets built effectively creating a south triangle at Ely allowing through running from
Cambridge to Soham, plus double track…

Everytime you open an idea it always snowballs into other ideas. I noticed that myself with my ideas.

There is very little (1 change) you can do because the next bottleneck is just up the track.

If traffic flow is allowed through Cambridge that would certainly help sell EWR on freight, but considering passenger trains are running so frequently on it I don't think there is much provision for freight anyway.