HS1 and HS2

Is there some new line they're talking about? HS1 has been open for quite a while - heck, I took the Eurostar from St. Pancras International last September and loved the experience.

Maybe he's referring to the planned HS2 route. This will relieve pressure on the West Coast Mainline and cut times to Birmingham and Manchester. There's a lot of NIMBY resistance in the Chilterns (where senior people like to live - think Westchester or western Connecticut) who falsely claim that it will disturb their lives.

Probably it will assist people north of London. There are still many doubts about its route, such as where it will terminate in London, and where it will inter-connect with crossrail and Heathrow (at Old Oak Common I should think). Most likely termination would be Euston. A link to HS1 is planned, though it would be rather slow, not like the TGV Interconnection in Paris.

That's what I originally thought - but he mentions 20 minutes from London to Pairs and I remember that being the figured quoted as the savings once St. Pancras and HS-1 were opened. I'm keeping an ear about HS2 as I'd like to be able to take it one day - my wife and I are going to Scotland this year and HS2 would make it easier for us to get up there on subsequent trips since most American airlines only want to fly to London.

djlong wrote:That's what I originally thought - but he mentions 20 minutes from London to Pairs and I remember that being the figured quoted as the savings once St. Pancras and HS-1 were opened. I'm keeping an ear about HS2 as I'd like to be able to take it one day - my wife and I are going to Scotland this year and HS2 would make it easier for us to get up there on subsequent trips since most American airlines only want to fly to London.

I still haven't experienced HS1 but it is quoted as having speeded up the British side of the route.

The next stage will be freight at night. It will bring larger loading gauge trains from the other side as far as London (mainly Dagenham) and increase tunnel usage.

Then there is the plan to bring German trains in for new routes to Frankfurt and other German cities. It's not so much the technical problems that make this difficult as the Home Office rules on immigration. They want every passenger to go through immigration before getting on the train. But these trains will only make a profit if passengers can travel between, say, Frankfurt and Brussels. That means that at every station they stop in there will have to be fences and immigration offices. I have noticed that although the French have had to agree with this, the office at Lille was hardly manned at all (more than 10 years ago).

My guess is that HS2 is about 20 years off. It takes a long time even to plan, and there may be Public Enquiries and objections from Nimbies. Who knows what the economic situation will be in even 10 years?

djlong wrote:That's what I originally thought - but he mentions 20 minutes from London to Pairs and I remember that being the figured quoted as the savings once St. Pancras and HS-1 were opened. I'm keeping an ear about HS2 as I'd like to be able to take it one day - my wife and I are going to Scotland this year and HS2 would make it easier for us to get up there on subsequent trips since most American airlines only want to fly to London.

If you travel to Gatwick, get a Thameslink (First Capital Connect) train to Kings Cross for trains to Edinburgh. Use trainline to book in advance and get reasonably priced tickets. Don't try to buy tickets at the station for same day travel. They will make you pay through the nose.

Or try this
http://www.seat61.com/CaledonianSleepers.htm

From Heathrow take the Heathrow Express to London Paddington, then take the Circle Line to Kings Cross or Euston Square. Euston is the main station for Glasgow and also the sleeper.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Our options are limited as virtually all service from Boston is to Heathrow. Our choices are to take the Tube to King's Cross for a 4-hour ride up to Edinburgh or pay $400 more per person to fly into Edinburgh via Amsterdam (bad $100 connections at Heathrow).

But, getting back on topic, as I understand it, they've only really approved HS2 as far as Liverpool, yes? Everything beyond that (Glasgow, Edinburgh) is 'planned'?

But, getting back on topic, as I understand it, they've only really approved HS2 as far as Liverpool, yes? Everything beyond that (Glasgow, Edinburgh) is 'planned'?

HS2 is proposed for London to Birmingham. The next phase would be a Y shape. One arm to Leeds, the other to Manchester. I assume that trains, probably like those now running on the Kent HS1, would continue at slower speeds (125 mph) beyond those cities. There is not yet a detailed plan or design.

It might be best for you to go from Heathrow on the Underground line (Piccadilly line). It is a bit slower than Heathrow Express, but once you are on the train it will go right through to Kings Cross. It costs less, too.

It is proposed that by the time HS2 is built there would be a Heathrow Express to a new station to connect with HS2 at Old Oak Common, a couple of miles before Paddington. But all that is at least 10 years off.

It is still very uncertain. For one thing the present government may not last, as at present the arguments between the two parties composing it are getting fiercer. If there is a General Election later this year who knows who would win and what would be the policy of a new government. So far the present government is following a similar policy to the previous government.

Funny story; while trolling for spammers, I came across this user who started the thread. Although the topic has had replies and discussion, the original post was someone with a user profile with a spam web-site. Back links and all. No spam links in the thread, but the profile. Clever. The more obvious stuff gets caught right away.