A couple of weeks ago, the Leigh Journal announced a proposal by Transport for Leigh, backed by local MP Andy Burnham, for a regional HS2 interchange station near the town.
Transport for Leigh proposed HS2 interchange
Transport for Leigh has been campaigning for a station near Leigh for a while, with the founder, Ged Tyrrell, having met Network Rail in 2011 to discuss his plans.
The thing is HS2 Ltd have made it very clear from the start that they want to minimise the number of stations. In November, Damien Henderson, reporter for Herald Scotland, described a meeting with HS2 Ltd in 2009:
“When I spoke to Sir David Rowlands, the then chair of the government’s HS2 delivery company, in 2009, he was clear that a significant danger for Scotland was that too many cities would want to be included in a high speed rail route. The more stations you have, the slower the journey between the beginning and end points. The more freight and local passenger trains you have, the less space there is for those 250mph bullet trains.
“Instead of high speed, Sir David feared it would become a “medium speed” route as trains stopped at places like Carlisle which have a relatively low population density. When I asked Mr Steer last week about Carlisle he said it would be “barmy” to build a new line north and south of the city and not include it. So clearly there’s a difference of views there.”
In Phase 1, HS2 Ltd have already rejected stations at Milton Keynes (on the grounds too many people would use it), at Aylesbury and at Bicester (for Oxford). In Phase 2, HS2 Ltd have ignored Stoke-on-Trent.
So whatever the merits of a local station at Leigh, HS2 Ltd aren’t going to build an interchange there.
No wonder other countries in the eu can build projects like hs2 without protesters and problems we have .they do not try to hood wink and rip of there people out of there homes .a army friend of mine who was stationed in Germany for several years told me before they start part of the planing starts with making sure all of the people in the vicinity of any project are due to a fair and full compension even to building and re homing people propley not trying it on upsetting there subjects to fight for there rights through the courts .arfter all we are in the ec and should all be treated with the same safe guards they have
Following a meeting with constituents seeing their bit of nature carved up and homes blighted, MP Andy Burnham went away promising to do everything he could to make matters right. His solution: an HS2 station at Leigh – when the HS2 plan for this stretch is the Scottish service of 1-2 trains per hour in each direction – probably only one in fact as the thinking is to have 2-set trains separating/joining near Carlisle for Edinburgh and Glasgow. Then you have Cheshire East lobbying for a full HS2 station at Crewe instead of the limited HS2 compatible service promised while Staffordshire wants Stoke to have HS2 when it is unlikely to have any (even compatibles) after Phase 2. Stoke / Stafford will of course have had 7-10 years’ benefit of the Manchester route compatibles between Phase 1 and 2, at which point Manchester switches to HS2 exclusives so they then get by-passed. Then again, why not one at Tamworth also, to make a proper East-West interchange instead of having to use Birmingham/B Interchange? Manchester Airport might get one but definitely not out of the HS2 budget.
Dilemmas, dilemmas! HS2 so hates Stops, as their trains are not compatible with stopping – so best Stop HS2.