This is a nice idea and thinking of how to make the most of Phase 1 is a must. But to make the most of Phase 1, we need to build a proper high speed rail network. Without being too unkind, I don’t think the Newark idea is particularly good and here’s why:

https://twitter.com/michaeldnes1/status/1865347394960826396

The problem is quite easy to spot really. If you connect directly to & run HS2 trains onto the MML, you actually don’t create much really capacity because rather than HS2 hoovering up all intercity capacity to free it up for local, regional & freight on the existing network, ⬇️

So we start with the 1st line & hit the buffers as we hit the “reallocate funds fallacy”. This has been explained so many times. Cancelling #HS2 means no money for anything else. Funds raised for #HS2 can ONLY be spent on HS2 & these funds are borrowed against future use. If there’s no HS2, there’s no funding for HS2 & no money. Also please explain how NR received an initial £48bn for CP6 back in 2019 if HS2 was “hoovering up funds”. As for value, as seen with existing lines, heavy capital costs are made back over the lengthy operational timespan

DAY281: 28/07/2019 it’s @RHDR thread time! My 1st ever visit was on this day having had a lovely weekend camping in East Sussex with friends. We started at #Dungeness behind Hercules #Steam #SteamTrain #TrainTravel #TravelbyTrain
#CoronaAlone #CoronaLockdown Departure from #Dungeness behind Hercules! It’s situated on a uni-directional loop as we head back towards the beach & the single line section towards Romney Sands via the spring loaded points. #RHDR #Steam #SteamTrain #TrainTravel 🚂 🌊

Seen the news this morning peeps? You ain’t seen nothing yet... #InterestingTimes #Robertsbridge Quaint & damp.
#Rail #Freight #SiteVisit #Quagmire

OTD a year ago 20/12/2019 I met the likes of @DavidHorne @RAIL @MrTimDunn @gawuffy @KateLNER1 @richardsalkeld @geofftech @VickiExplores @Modern_Railways @richardprice101 @Coastway_Will for the last day of #LetsGoRoundAgain #HSTFarewell #Intercity125 on @LNER
What a day it was! I joined from @NetworkRailLDS to @NetworkRailKGX We had a good trip, up the ECML with everyone in good spirits on the train! I grew up with the HSTs on the ECML & it was a nice way to remember my late grandfather who used to take me to spots along the line to see them...