If you were planning HS2 . . .

[IanXC]

I don't know enough about the underground geometry of this, but would it be possible to get into Snow Hill? Perhaps this might finally provide the excuse to rebuild the line to Wolves Low Level and provide an extra link running right through the West Midlands, also conveniently giving an alternative route between London and Aberystwyth.

Interesting to see my old thread revived.

The approach to New Street goes directly underneath Moor Street station... so before you know where you are you're stuck with the 2 track Snow Hill tunnel - which of course has platforms at the Moor Street end.

Of course theres options to reinstate whats now platform 5 at Moor Street, and I think there is just about room for a platform 6. If the through platforms were not used at Peak times it might be possible to create more paths, and then reinstating *a* Snow Hill-Wolves link could allow for Marylebone to Liverpool, Wrexham, Chester (etc) services, freeing paths on the WCML and thus through New Street.

Of course an easier way of freeing paths in New Street could be via the Camp Hill chords, such as the Herefords (if my geography is right) or if some splitting of currently through XC Turbostar services were considered.

 

[Class172]

I hope they do open the new chords: more services for Hereford line, Bromsgrove, Camp hill stations and improved XC timings. It also allows much more flexibility for routes into Birmingham (as well as my fantasy open access!)

 

[Waverley125]

Is there really the demand for tunnels through to Ireland?

Given all 5 London Airports have multiple daily flights to Dublin, as does every major regional Airport, and the strong ferry business from both holyhead & Liverpool, I think an Irish service would be very well patronised. Especially given it could do the journey in 3 hours or less, which, given the distance of the Airports (City, Luton, Gatwick, Stansted, Heathrow & Dublin) from their respective city centres, would be a significant timesaving.

Same with Belfast.