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• H. Harvey, Birmingham

  A copy of my letter to the Birmingham Post
  
  
  £11Billion Rail Link could go Under New St
  Post Aug 5 2008 By Paul Dale,
  This article should be retitled ‘Who’s Fighting for the Regions Transport Future’ a point strengthened by R Worralls letter of 12 August and there are few who can speak with comparable knowledge as he can. He is probably the best spokesman the region has ever had on transport issues and should be listened to more so than the petty minded demagogues who will promote Gateway no matter what cost to the real future transport needs in the West Midlands.
  
  We read in Paul Dales (very good article) Council transport experts are working with consultants appointed to examine the benefits of a high-speed line coming to Birmingham
  Marvellous so far but then enter the dead hand of the Myopic Four (I leave readers to guess who they are) makes its presence felt. I refer to the study terms of reference which limit the options for a terminal of the High Speed Line to Birmingham International, Moor St, and a subterranean station under New Street. Any of these options will fail to meet the short, medium and long term needs of the city/region all to protect the ‘retail lounge’ that is Gateway.
  The limited terms of reference will result in three constrained and separate city centre stations with limited scope for expansion. The Gateway myopia will exclude the best option i.e. Grand Central. Grand Central has potential for full modal interchange, at less cost, with less disruption to rail travellers. Grand Central would provide interchange between high-speed rail intercity rail and suburban rail services, within one site ideal for industry, commerce people and railways and transport in general. The Grand Central concept could include bus/coach/tram etc on one site.
  Grand Central would in fact facilitate rail access to Birmingham International and the airport especially if the HS rail line was routed that way. Birmingham would have the advantage over other regional airports enabling the airport to serve a far wider customer base for longer distance flights far more suited to air travel.
  Gerry Blackett shows his myopia (and prejudice) by insisting on rigorous study of the High Speed Link because of the threat it poses to Birmingham International. Clearly he fears competition but his myopia prevents him from realising the airport could be the overflow for London Airports and could also extract traffic from Heathrow. At least this shows he is simply an apologist for everything Birmingham Airport. He completely ignores the modal shift from air to rail in intercity services and those to the near continent already taking place. A recent study by York Aviation for the City of London Corporation
  The Possible High Speed Rail Routes to the City and the Possible Terminals.
  Firstly I freely admit I want the maximum benefits for the West Midlands and Birmingham benefits High Speed Rail Line will bring as it has done in Continental Europe.
  Greengauge 21 (G21) are clearly in a cleft stick They do not want to upset the myopic Gateway supporters and to avoid doing so they (G21) would be cautious not to upset the ‘Myopic Five who are recognised for their tunnel vision and defensive tendency where Gateway is concerned.
  Any proper study of rail Transport Links into the City must include existing corridors and existing stations but ‘Grand Central should be included and G21 should insist on including Grand Central in the terms of reference of the proposed study.
  Only then would the final result stand some chance of providing the best long-term solution to present and future transport needs of the Region.
  Why the emphasis by G21 for the route via Oxford is puzzling as this route is likely to omit Milton Keynes/Rugby/Coventry, all of which are larger than Oxford. The ultimate solution is for the High Speed Line to serve Coventry Birmingham International AND the City of Birmingham. To do so would require use of the Rugby Coventry Birmingham line, which was proposed for four tracking not so many years ago and would provide the higher speed alignment with less difficulty than via Solihull.
  The Rugby Birmingham line was to 140mph trains admittedly tilting trains. 200mph is a relatively small step increase along and alignment relatively straight. All trains would stop at Coventry and most at Birmingham International and the speed profile need not be such a problem to fit in to the present alignment with limited modification to maximise it. Much of the line is in cutting leading to lower noise profiles in a dense urban area and there are few sections where significant properties would be seriously affected.
  
  Great Western Main Line
  There were four tracks but at stations car parks have been built on the formation and the route was planned to carry one of the metro lines into the City. The alignment was built for steam and 200mph would be very difficult more importantly this route would not link the Airport and Coventry. It would most likely result in Birmingham being at the end of a 100mph-branch line.
  
  Whichever route is chosen would still be better served by a ‘Grand Central’ and without expensive tunnelling.
  
  Appraising the Three Terminal Station options for the Study
  Tunnel under New St – Line would have to enter along GW route or Con Birmingham
  It would cost at least £500million - £1000 million including a station.
  Moor St - Moor Street could not handle the extra Chiltern Lines; Walsall/Tamworth/Solihull/Kings Heath lines traffic in addition to High-Speed Lines future growth.
  Birmingham International - The worst possible solution but should be an intermediate station on the HS Rail route. The City would be at the end of a Branch Line requiring a change of train and a slow journey into New St taking the London – Birmingham journey time over the hour and vastly reducing benefits. Even worse High Speed Rail links to the North would avoid the City and If the HS carries North of BHX then Birmingham would not have access to the North of UK where probably the greatest access benefit for the city and region would be gained.
  It is worth quoting the recent study by York Aviation for the City of London Corporation ‘Aviation Services and the City’
  …. it is essential that these links (High Speed Rail)
  are time efficient and do not involve changes.
  
  70% of those interviewed would change
  to rail for journeys under 3hours
  For Birmingham this would include Glasgow/Edinburgh/ and all south thereof
  
  York Aviation clearly would not support Birmingham International for Birmingham
  Though any of these solutions are better than none they all disperse rail communications across a multitude of constricted sites limiting future development and preventing significant multi- mode access, and impose unnecessary costs. They do therefore signify failure to develop a secure transport future for us all in the West Midlands. More and more all the pointers are to a Grand Central solution
  Appraising Grand Central
  The original Grand Central site has not yet been built on. Even the CPO process has not been completed, and could still be halted and the site put to better use for Grand Central
  Failing this the Grand Central could be built somewhere in the box formed by Adderley Park/Proof House/Duddeston/Neachels/Adderley Park.
  Action should be taken to prevent the Myopic Four preventing this from happening. They will try
  The Gateway ‘retail lounge) is DEAD if the Grand Central station is built so they will do their utmost to do so
  Grand Central will avoid costs of
  £500 million of Gateway
  HS2 Tunnel under New St plus new subterranean station £1500million
  Moor St £200million at least
  A total of £2000million enough to build a Grand Central with ease
  On value for money Grand Central and in their heart of Hearts G21 know this lets hope the City transport planners and even the Myopic Four will see the light and extend the study to include Grand Central.
  So lets include a Grand Central, it could be built on its original propose site or anywhere in the area bounded by Adderley Park/Proof House junction/Neachells.
  It could be situated where the Camp Hill line Passes underneath the Birmingham Coventry line
  Built as a Two level Station with Kings Heath, Solihull services using Bordesley Curve and St Andrews curve to run via Grand Central into and through New St
  Inter City NE/SW go via the Camp Hill line
  Local Tamworth Services go via Grand Central and Continue into New St.
  HS2 Services if routed via GW are routed via Bordesley curve onto Camp Hill line and into Grand Central then continue to North UK via Washwood Heath
  Existing London services Call at Grand Central and continue via New St
  
  Perhaps the Myopic Four should read the York Aviation consultant’s report prepared for the City of London which makes this telling comment
  “If the option was there (High speed Rail), we would do all our domestic
  travel by high-speed train. It is simply a better and more efficient experience”
  
  If you believe Birmingham has a future we need the High Speed Rail Links to North and South
  A station suitable for the best City and Region means only Grand Central will do.
  
  Anything else is second best and we’ve been there.