Permanent Rail Engineering Profile picture
Permanent Rail Engineering is an engineering consultancy focused on strategy, design and management for sustainable transport, including railways.
Feb 21, 2020 11 tweets 5 min read
Despite being the first intercity line in the UK to be electrified with modern(ish) overheads, the railway between Manchester and Sheffield through Woodhead Tunnels was closed for traffic in 1981.

Many people call for the line to reopen, but how sensible would that be? Firstly, let's look at the three great cities of the northern Pennines:

🐝 Manchester (hub for a 9.7m urban area)
🦉 Leeds (hub for a 1.7m urban area)
🦁 Sheffield (hub for a 1.3m urban area)

Let's draw a straight line between their principal stations:
Aug 4, 2019 7 tweets 4 min read
The second of today’s #whyHS2 threads looks at the Great Central Main Line (often referred to as the GCR), and suggestions that reopening this railway would be a better alternative to HS2.

This simply isn’t correct. By comparing the two alignments, you can see why… On opening, HS2 Phase 1 will relieve the WCML south of Birmingham. HS2 Phase 2A will further relieve the WCML northwards to Crewe.

HS2’s full potential is unlocked when Phase 2B opens to Manchester and Leeds, freeing up space on the WCML, MML, ECML and XC route.
Feb 12, 2019 11 tweets 6 min read
This week, @LiamHalligan and @C4Dispatches asked whether #HS2 was a good use of public funds, and whether the same benefits could be gained by spending the money elsewhere.

Here's our answer.
#HS2alltheway #WhyHS2 The vast majority of Britain's railways are a jack of all trades and a master of none.

Because of our mix of fast, slow, non-stop and stopping trains, we aren't able to squeeze services together to get the most out of the existing infrastructure.
Aug 6, 2018 4 tweets 3 min read
This #TransitCapacityComparison looks at high speed maglev systems: the Shanghai Transrapid (operating), Chūō Shinkansen (under construction) and #Hyperloop (proposed).

We've also included the UK's second high speed rail line, #HS2.

Do the figures match your expectations? For more information on maglev (magnetic levitation) systems, read this docu-thread by @GarethDennis... It goes through the history of the technology's development, from the Hovertrain through to Hyperloop:
Feb 14, 2018 14 tweets 9 min read
High Speed 2 continues to stir up debate...

Why it is being prioritised over other corridors such as those in the north or south west? Does it follow the best route? Is it necessary at all?

This little thread should help explain things. Firstly, Britain's railways are getting busier... Our network is the most densely trafficked in Europe, even before you consider freight.

On key routes, existing lines are already reaching capacity.