Abstract: Plans for a second high speed railway line (HS2) in the UK are discussed. The capacity constraints on main line railways are explained. If the capacity of a railway line is overloaded, then problems with journey time reliability are likely to occur. The upgrade to the West Coast main line cost u9 billion and caused massive disruption. However the section south of Rugby which is shared by all west coast traffic, has run out of potential for upgrading, providing the case for a new line between London and Birmingham. This case is being considered, including reporting on the demand potential, the business case, the optimum route and the value of the capacity freed up on the classic rail network. To achieve speeds of 300km/h, the horizontal curvature of the track has to be of the order of 7000m radius, cuttings would be required, and the European Rail Traffic Management System would be required. Intermediate stations would required large loop tracks to avoid delays to following trains. The major catalyst to demand would be a journey time form London to Birmingham of 45 minutes. A capacity of 20,000 seats per hour on each line is anticipated. Rapid throughput of trains at the stations would require many large platforms, probably requiring the stations to be built below ground. Possible routes for extensions to HS2 are mapped, showing different layouts from the perspective of users in different parts of the country.
Publication Year: 2010
Publication Date: 2010-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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