Thread by @HS2ltd

#HS2 is shovel-ready. Ready to deliver a new railway which also upgrades 3 major lines. Ready to provide more seats on more trains. Ready to level-up the country by creating jobs and growth all along the route. Find out why other options cannot provide the benefits of HS2.
1/13

Alternatives to #HS2 would not deliver enough new capacity, cut journey times or deliver wider economic benefits of HS2. Extensive upgrades have already been made to the West Coast Mainline but incremental upgrades won’t provide the step change needed.
2/13

Detailed expert reports looked at potential rail alternatives, including: upgrades to existing lines, alternative modes and conventional high speed. They would cause wide disruption on the network. Here’s how.
3/13

Upgrading the existing network to deliver the same amount of capacity as #HS2 would require three massive upgrades of the West Coast, East Coast and Midland mainlines all at once. This would require around 2,700 weekend closures over 15 or more years. #replacementbus
4/13

On the East Coast, Network Rail's CEO said: “We did some work recently on just how much disruption you would need to do on the ECML to do significant capacity improvements if you didn’t do HS2 Phase 2. I think [it was] something absurd” constructionnews.co.uk/hs2/network-ra…
5/13

In the years to 2024, passenger demand on the West Coast Mainline is forecast to rise by a further 12 per cent and freight by 18 per cent. By the mid-2020s, it simply will not be able to accommodate any more trains.
6/13

Despite a multi-billion pound upgrade in 2008, the West Coast Mainline is ‘highly constrained’ and ‘close to capacity’ already. It operates more intensely than comparable European lines, including high speed ones. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/upl…
7/13

Upgrading the WCML's physical constraints means widening it to double 2-track sections and fix bottlenecks. It would affect many thousands of homes and businesses along the line in London, Ledburn, Milton Keynes, Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham, Stafford, Crewe and on to Wigan.
8/13

The extra capacity HS2 brings for train users across the country also generates jobs and growth. That means more opportunities for work and leisure. This will help level-up opportunity and help #BringBritainCloserTogether.
hs2.org.uk/why/bringing-b…
9/13

Thanks to in-depth design and the most comprehensive ground investigations on a project this scale, we now have the great certainty of cost estimates and schedule, as well as detailed construction plans for HS2 Phase 1.
10/13

#HS2 Phase 2b, #NorthernPowerhouseRail and #MidlandsEngineRail have all been developed at different stages; by looking at them together there are opportunities for greater efficiencies.
11/13

Tackling them together means they can eliminate bottlenecks, offer more seats on more trains, improve reliability, enable #MoreFreightByRail and take more cars and lorries off our roads.
12/13

Investment in a state-of-the-art, high-speed line is critical for the UK’s low-carbon transport future. It will provide much-needed rail capacity up and down the country, and is integral to rail projects in the north and Midlands which will help rebalance the UK economy.
13/13