HS2 - Government proposals, alternative routes and general discussion

[whole diary]

[stuving]

That overhead power-carrying pylon is a tad close for comfort. Imagine the power cuts if that had been on top of one of the sinkholes

I doubt that any power cuts would have resulted. ALL major grid lines are duplicated, with at least one alternative route available in case of fault or failure.
All but the smallest villages have at least two different routes by which power may be supplied.

A pylon line carries two circuits, so a single circuit failure is covered by duplication. But the grid's rules do apply at the level of routes as well. This is defined in National Electricity Transmission System Security and Quality of Supply Standard, where it says (inter many alia):

4.6 The minimum transmission capacity of the MITS shall also be planned such that for the conditions described in paragraph 4.4 and for the secured event of a fault outage of any of the following:
4.6.1 a single transmission circuit, a reactive compensator or other reactive power provider;
4.6.2 a single generation circuit, a single generating unit (or several generating units sharing a common circuit breaker), a single power park module, or a single DC^▸ (Direct Current) converter;
4.6.3 a double circuit overhead line on the supergrid;
4.6.4 a double circuit overhead line where any part of either circuit is in NGET’s transmission system or SHET’S transmission system;
4.6.5 a section of busbar or mesh corner; or
...
4.6.7 loss of supply capacity (except as permitted by the demand connection criteria detailed in Section 3 and Section ;
4.6.8 unacceptable overloading of any primary transmission equipment;
4.6.9 unacceptable voltage conditions or insufficient voltage performance margins;
4.6.10 system instability; or
4.6.11 Unacceptable Sub-Synchronous Oscillations

But there are exceptions, such as Grimsby West - currently fed by a single two-circuit line. Note that the DNO^▸ (Distribution Network Operator)'s network is built on the same principles, so there will be alternative connection from other grid substations to any of their customers (but these may have limited capacity).

There is a plan to have a plan to build a new line from Grimsby West, south to Walpole on the Wash. Consultations have started, though the Planning Inspectorate don't expect an application until 2027. The reasons given for doing this are about capacity not security, but I'm sure that's a motive too.

[stuving]

Florence's sister Cecilia has now also had her coming-out party (so they are now both debutantes). So here's another very staged picture and story from HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)):

Final breakthrough for HS2’s longest tunnel
Published on    21 Mar 2024

    Second tunnel boring machine (TBM), Cecilia, reaches northern portal of 10 mile high-speed rail tunnel under Chiltern Hills.

• Arrival marks completion of mammoth drive taking two years and nine months.
• 2,000 tonne Cecilia joins twin sister machine, Florence, following her arrival last month.
• Download high resolution images of the breakthrough.
• View and embed footage of the spectacular breakthrough moment.

The second giant boring machine (TBM) building HS2 under the Chiltern Hills broke through at the tunnel’s northern portal late this afternoon, completing a journey that began in June 2021.

Named Cecilia, the TBM has driven for 10 miles underground to join twin sister machine – Florence. She arrived at the site near the Buckinghamshire town of Wendover on 27 February, after completing her adjacent tunnel drive.

Between them, the two 2,000 tonne machines have built the twin bore tunnel at depths of up to 80 metres and excavated three million cubic metres of chalk. Each machine operates like an underground factory, able to excavate the tunnels and line them with 56,000 pre-cast concrete tunnel segments, grouting them into place and moving forward at an average speed of 16 metres per day...

[Mark A]

Yes, that job of working behind the cutting head in that small space, removing the arisings with a shovel, that must be a nightmare and one of the worst jobs in tunnelling. Full time oversight from Saint Barbara needed. :-)

Mark

[Red Squirrel]

The final questioner in Rachel Reeves' presser this morning (8 July) asked whether HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) will get to Leeds. Reeves replied that she will not make any commitments until she knows where the money would come from...

[a-driver]

The final questioner in Rachel Reeves' presser this morning (8 July) asked whether HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) will get to Leeds. Reeves replied that she will not make any commitments until she knows where the money would come from...

Roughly translated as “NO”.

[johnneyw]

I'm wondering what the new Chancellor intends to do with all the land north of Birmingham that was purchased for HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) which the previous administration intended to sell off after that phase was cancelled.  Surely there wasn't time to sell any of it before the election?

[ChrisB]

I wondered where the 2.5million houses were going to go!

[grahame]

2 ...

I'm wondering what the new Chancellor intends to do with all the land north of Birmingham ...

Plus 2 ...

I wondered where the 2.5million houses were going to go!

Equals more that 4?

[ellendune]

I'm wondering what the new Chancellor intends to do with all the land north of Birmingham ...

[/quote]

The chancellor was asked about HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) to Leeds  - she did not say no. She just said she would have to know where the money was coming from first. 

I wondered where the 2.5million houses were going to go!

They have only promised 1.5 million houses

[TaplowGreen]

I'm wondering what the new Chancellor intends to do with all the land north of Birmingham that was purchased for HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) which the previous administration intended to sell off after that phase was cancelled.  Surely there wasn't time to sell any of it before the election?

I hear there are plans for a plantation of magic money trees.

[stuving]

Any incoming new government is going to hold a review of HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) - as of all big spending programmes. Mostly this is done invisibly, but for HS2 I expect something more formal and announced. Its remit is pretty obvious: what's left of HS2 does not make a lot of sense - consider the options for continuing northwards, so as to give most of the benefits of the planned phase 2 at an affordable cost.

[paul7575]

I'm wondering what the new Chancellor intends to do with all the land north of Birmingham that was purchased for HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) which the previous administration intended to sell off after that phase was cancelled.  Surely there wasn't time to sell any of it before the election?

I hear there are plans for a plantation of magic money trees.

If they want US Dollars they’ll probably have to be planted in the green belt…

[Noggin]

I suspect that:
1) HS^▸ (High Speed (short for HSS^▸ (High Speed Services) High Speed Services)) Euston will get built as a "Grand Project", along with CR2 to prove to the punters and investors that Labour can get things done and keep Sadiq Khan quiet, but will somehow be done "off balance sheet".
2) HS Liverpool to Manchester (and beyond to Leeds) will be progressed through design stages and legislation, incorporating part of the HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) route - remember 2030 is 200 years of Liverpool to Manchester Railway, keeping Burnham, Rotheram (and Rayner) quiet
3) They won't actually bother to build much of the middle bits of HS2, but money will instead go to the corridors Hendy identified for union connectivity.   

Hopefully Dan Norris will be bought off with a WECA^» (West of England Combined Authority - about) rail electrification scheme.

[TonyK]

Our new Minister of State for Rail (no mention of HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) in the title unlike his predecessor) is none other than Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE, currently chair of Network Rail. Unlike some earlier holders of the post, he has form (I nearly said track record) in public transport over a lot of years, most prominently in London with TfL^» (Transport for London - about), then as  Commissioner of Transport, appointed by Ken Livingston and kept on by Boris Johnson. Our new PM seems to have gone for experience and pragmatism, choosing someone who has already worked across party lines. One could be forgiven for thinking that there is a wish for an end to the games of political football over railways in general and HS2 in particular.

Rachel Reeves must surely know where the money for a resurrected northern bit of HS2 would come from, as it would be the same borrowing against future fares as before. A lot of money has already been spent acquiring land and in planning, and whilst that doesn't mean it can't be written off along with compensation for any cancelled contracts, it does mean the cost is likely to be lower per mile. Lord Hendy will be in a better position to lobby for the support if he thinks it is worthwhile putting the whole northern route back on the map, or to identify key areas to improve to get some of the same results if he decides it isn't. Otherwise, he is probably going to have to be the one who decides whether to price passengers off the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line), or freight, like a sort of pre-emptive Beeching. The extra capacity so badly needed won't happen unless somebody builds it.

[Electric train]

Our new Minister of State for Rail (no mention of HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) in the title unlike his predecessor) is none other than Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE, currently chair of Network Rail. Unlike some earlier holders of the post, he has form (I nearly said track record) in public transport over a lot of years, most prominently in London with TfL^» (Transport for London - about), then as  Commissioner of Transport, appointed by Ken Livingston and kept on by Boris Johnson. Our new PM seems to have gone for experience and pragmatism, choosing someone who has already worked across party lines. One could be forgiven for thinking that there is a wish for an end to the games of political football over railways in general and HS2 in particular.

Rachel Reeves must surely know where the money for a resurrected northern bit of HS2 would come from, as it would be the same borrowing against future fares as before. A lot of money has already been spent acquiring land and in planning, and whilst that doesn't mean it can't be written off along with compensation for any cancelled contracts, it does mean the cost is likely to be lower per mile. Lord Hendy will be in a better position to lobby for the support if he thinks it is worthwhile putting the whole northern route back on the map, or to identify key areas to improve to get some of the same results if he decides it isn't. Otherwise, he is probably going to have to be the one who decides whether to price passengers off the WCML^▸ (West Coast Main Line), or freight, like a sort of pre-emptive Beeching. The extra capacity so badly needed won't happen unless somebody builds it.

Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE holds a PSV licence .............he will not be the same as Lord Adonis, in regards building new High Speed railways.

He is unlikely to price people off of rail services, it will be more where does the Government investment go, more importantly what investment can the Metro Mayors and County / Local Authorities bring to rail