Baltasound,
It's business case is dependant on the full Y to Manchester/ Leeds and then Scotland coming on stream.
But I think this is where the government has come un-stuck, and I have yet to see a poll showing commited support for it. The proposal on the table, as consulted, was just Phase 1 - and that is all that is going ahead initially.
I understand that the BCR (benefit-cost) for this project is now down to 1.4 - now I know these things can be taken with a pinch of salt too, but it isn't surprising to see such low benefits, given that there are other ways of finding capacity to Birmingham, and that time savings and capacity gains beyond are marginal.
However, I do agree - Phase 2 is much better value - I make it four times better, once you add in that Manchester and Leeds can have full sized trains, and that significantly better use will also be made of the original line.
But I still have my doubts as to whether or not we'll get this far.
messing about with a heavily used, mixed traffic railway and trying to keep it open at the same time is asking for trouble
But it isn't all mixed traffic, very little freight between Birmingham and Rugby, The Pendolini usually get a free run south of Rugby and
afaik, Rugby - Colwhich is 3 tracks, the 3rd used for freight, and easily upgradeable to four.
I think there were a lot of us at the time thinking - this ' downgraded upgrade' - to take trains capable of 140mph, but only to let them run at 125mph - is costing so much, we could have had a new line.
Then the cost of the new line (Part1) comes to a whopping £150m per mile (if it stays on budget), and the very simple measures which could be taken now won't be done, because, apparently they aren't good value for money!
I hope you can see why many of us here who would otherwise support rail improvements are so cynical about hs2.
OK, back to airports then:
Finally, I have a feeling that Crossrail will extend to Reading and that sanity will prevail. (+left turn ex LHR)
Amen to that! Much needed. Trains could be run again from MK through OOC and beyond - a simple cheap interchange for LGW at the least.