chapter3c High Speed Rail London to the West Midlands and Beyond A Report to Government by High...

8/8/2019 chapter3c High Speed Rail London to the West Midlands and Beyond A Report to Government by High Speed Two

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High Speed RailLondon to the West Midlands and Beyond

A Report to Government

by High Speed Two Limited

PART 6 of 11


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W h ile H i gh S peed Tw o ( H S 2) L im i ted h as m a de every effort to en su re th e i nform a ti on i n th is d ocu m en t i s a ccu ra te, H S 2 Ltd d oes

no t guarantee the accuracy, com p le teness or usefulness o f the in form at ion con tained in th is docum ent and i t cannot accept

l i ab i li ty for any loss or dam ages o f any k ind resul ting from re liance on the in form at ion or gu idance th is docum ent con ta ins.

C opyright, H igh S peed Tw o ( H S 2) Lim i ted , 2 009.

C o pyri gh t i n t he t yp og raph ica l a rrangem ent s re st s w i th H S 2 Li m i te d.

This publicat ion , exclud ing logos , m ay be reproduced free o f charge in any form at or m ed ium for non-com m erc ia l research ,

private s tudy or for in ternal c irculat ion w i th in an organisation . Th is is subject to i t be ing reproduced accurately and not used in

a m is lead ing context . The t i tle m ust be ackno w ledged as copyrigh t and the t i tle o f the publ icat ion speci f ied .

F o r a ny o th er u se o f t hi s m a te ri al p le ase c on ta ct H S 2 Li m i te d o n 0 20 7 944 4908 , o r b y e m a i l a t H S 2 E n qu iri es@ h s2 .g si . gov. uk,

or by w ri ti ng to H S 2, 3rd F loor, 55 Vi ctori a S treet, Lon don, S W 1 H 0 E U .

F u rther copies o f t hi s report can be obtained f ro m w w w . h s2 .org .uk .

I S B N : 9 78- 1 -84864- 072- 6

U n less s peci fi ed , a l l m aps , t ab les, d i agra m s and g raphs i n t h i s report a re a p roduct o f H S 2 and i ts consult an ts .

C h apter 1 :

I C E 3 h i gh s peed t ra in on t he F rankfurt -C o logne h i gh -speed ra i l l in e, S e bast ian Terflo th ;

E u rosta r, D a ve B u sh ell w w w . ca nbu sh .com /p pbfron tpa ge. htm ;

G m m en en vi ad uct over th e ri ver S a ri ne w i th TG V 9 288, B ern e, S w i tzerla nd , C h ri ush a;

Tu nn elli ng , H S 1 Ltd

A VE Ta rragona -M a dri d, F o to trenes

S t. P ancras S tation, H S 1 Ltd

C h ap te r 5 :

M a ti sa w w w . m a ti sa .com /m ati sa _an g/m a ti sa_prod ui ts. htm l


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Chapter 3: D eterm in ing the P referred S chem e

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3.6 West Midlands principal station and approachesIntroduction

3.6.1 I n th e W est M i dla nd s ou r m eth od fo r d eterm i ni ng t h e preferred s chem e w a s si m i la r to th at a dopted

for London, although necessarily adapted to account for the d i f ferent c ircum stances that apply in

t he reg i on . A p arti cu lar q uesti on w a s w h ether a p ri nci pa l W est M i dlands sta ti on w ould be on a spur

o ff t he m a in h i gh speed li ne or a t hrough stat ion on the li ne i tse lf an i ssue tha t d oes not ari se i n

London.

3.6.2 I n speci fying a region, ra ther than ci ty, our re m i t a lso le ft open the quest ion o f i n w h i ch part o f t he W est M id lands a principal s tat ion should be located . A n i n i tia l long l is t o f s tat ion opt ions considered

sta ti on loca ti ons i n t he w i der W e st M i dlands a re a, i ncludi ng W o lverham pton, W a lsa ll, B i rm i ngha m

I n ternationa l and H e art lands. H o w ever, e arly analysis o f d em and gures dem onstra ted clearly

t he i m p ortance o f servi ng B i rm i ngha m ci ty cen tre i n o rder to c aptu re si gni cant passenger o w s.

W i th t he en dorsem en t of ou r W est M i dla nd s w orki ng g roup, s ites ou tsi de cen tra l B i rm i ngha m w ere

therefore ru led out as potent ia l locat ions for a principal W est M id lands s tat ion . These locat ions w ere

retained , ho w ever, for considerat ion as part of the w ork to identi fy a poss ible interchange stat ion,

w h i ch i s d escribed i n m ore detai l i n t he fo llo w i ng sect ion.

3.6.3 H a vi ng establi shed that a pri nci pa l sta ti on w a s requi red i n B i rm i ngha m ci ty cen tre, the d eci si on

betw een loca ti ng t h at sta ti on o n a l in e th rou gh B i rm i ngha m , o r on a spu r i nto B i rm i ngha m , w a s

driven by the feasib i li ty of construction, as w e ll as a range of business case cri teria , includ ing the

d i fferentia l costs, j ourney t i m es and susta inabi li ty i m pacts.

Terminal stations in the West Midlands

3.6.4 A term inal station in the W est M id lands w ould require a m in im um of three platform s to

a cco m m oda te the new h igh speed servi ces to L ondon and a ssoci ated em p ty w o rki ngs to a nd f ro m

a ro lli ng stock depot . I n i ti a lly w e assum ed four p la tform s a t t he W est M i d lands term inal stat ions ,

a d ecision based on e arly dem and and t im e tabling assum p tions. The opt ion si ft ing stages w e re

carried out on th is basis .

3.6.5 D uri ng t he cou rse of th e yea r w e con ti nu ed to w ork on e nsu ri ng t ha t the d esi gn of H S 2 w ou ld

accom m odate the potenti a l long t erm asp ira tions for a net w ork. C onsequently w e concluded tha t

fo r t he new sta ti on to b e able to a cco m m oda te regular servi ces fro m B i rm i ngha m to l oca ti ons o ther

than London, part icularly as part o f a longer term strategy for a h igh speed ne tw ork , the station

w ould requi re si x p la tform s. A s a resu lt, the n al opt ions w e presen t fo r G overn m en t to c onsi de r

( and w h i ch w e have appra ised) are based on a si x-pla tform stat ion footprin t.


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High Speed Rail for Britain R eport by H ig h S peed 2 Ltd

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Through stations in the West Midlands3.6.6 A th rough sta ti on i n t he W est M i dlands, lo ca te d on t he p ri nci pa l h igh speed li ne north w o uld requi re

a d ifferen t footp ri nt. A s t he m a jo ri ty o f tra ins to /fro m London w ould p ass th rough B i rm i ngha m n on -

stop a t fu ll speed on their w ay to dest inat ions further north , decelerat ion lanes w ou ld be requ ired on

e ither s ide o f t he stat ion i n order t o m i n im i se the i m pact upon the route s capaci ty.

3.6.7 W e w e re u nable to i d en ti fy a ny su rface loca ti on fo r such a con gura ti on , so a route t hrough

B i rm i ngha m i n th is w a y w o uld need to b e approached by tu nnel, w i th t he s ta ti on i tself i n a sub-

surface box, si m i la r to S tra tford sta ti on on H S 1 . The sta ti on box w ould b e approxi m a tely 1 km long

and 50 m e tres w i de. There w ou ld be secondary boxes located approxi m ately 2 k ilom e tres e i ther

s ide o f the m a in station box, to accom m odate the pointw ork necessary for the decelerat ion lanes .

I n order t o m a intain access for m a intenance o f h i gh speed poin t w ork, t hese boxes could not be

covered over and built upon.

Creation and initial sifting of the long list of station options - Stage One

3.6.8 The long li st o f stat ion opt ions w as again generated by review i ng the scope for exist ing stat ion si tes

t o accom m odate a h i gh speed stat ion, e ither w i th in t he exist ing footprin t or w i th addi ti ona l ad jacent

land , and o ther poss ib le s i tes that w ere ident i ed e i ther by s takeholders or as a product o f our o w n

research. S o m e opt ions w ere ident i ed as w e progressed through the s ift ing process . These opt ions

w e re a lso review ed for co m p li ance w i th t he i n i t ia l s ift cri te ria , a lbei t a t a la ter d a te , and so t hey are i ncluded here . F i gure 3 .6a i llustra tes ( in d ark b lue) t hose opt ions w h i ch w e re s ifted out a t S t age O ne.


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STAGE ONEMoor Street (Through)

Moor Street (Terminal)

Remodelled Snow Hill (Terminal)

Remodelled Snow Hill (Through)

Curzon Street (Through)

Curzon Street (Terminal)

New Street (Through)

New Street (Terminal)

Wholly new (subsurface Through)

Wholly new (subsurface Terminal)

Wolverhampton

Walsall

Birmingham International

Heartlands

Fazeley Street

Warwick Wharf

Moor Street (Through)

Moor Street (Terminal) West

Moor Street (Terminal) East





Fazeley Street

Warwick Wharf

Fazeley Street

Warwick Wharf

Preferred

Alternative?



Wholly new (subsurface Through)Wholly new (subsurface Terminal)

Fazeley Street

Warwick Wharf

Proof House

Proof House

STAGE TWO

STAGE THREE

Option not pursued

Option pursued

Figure 3.6a West Midlands stations sifting process Stage One

3.6.9 A s w i th the London sta ti ons, t he l ong- li sted opt ions w ere a ssessed a ga inst t he fo llo w i ng h igh- leve l

feasibility criteria:

O verall t w i th the rem i t.

O perat ional/eng ineering feasib i li ty an in i tia l vie w on the ab i li ty to construct a station on the s ite

and the poss ible assoc iated i m pacts.

D em and a n on -m odelled broad a ssessm en t o f li kely sca le o f d em and .

C o st a t the level o f a basi c o rder o f m a gn itude.

O ther relevant factors, includ ing obvious potential environm ental constraints.


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3.6.10 O f t he long- li sted opt ions , seven w e re re m oved i n t he i n it ia l si ft , as i ndica ted i n b lue i n t he d i agram above .

Snow Hill options. S ta ti ons i n th e S n ow H i ll a rea o f B i rm i ng ham , w here a classi c li ne ra ilw a y

station a lready exists, w ere not pursued because w e concluded they w ere not feasib le . G auge-

constra ined tunnels a t e ither end w ould requ ire rebu i ld ing , w h i ch m i ght be i m possible g i ven the

sha llo w na ture o f t he m ore southerly S now H i ll Tunne l and the exist ing i n frastructure bui lt above

the tu nnels on t he su rface. The proxi m i ty to S t C h ad s C a thed ra l w a s a lso c onsi de red to b e a

poss ible l i m i t ing factor.

New Street (Through). A th rou gh s ta ti on a t N ew S treet w a s ru led o ut on t he g round s th at i t

w o uld prove i nco m pa ti ble w i th the reten ti on o f the exi sti ng j unct ions to t he east a nd w est o f N ew S treet s tat ion, severely restricting regional ra i l access to the c i ty centre . I t w as therefore deem ed

operationa lly unacceptable.

Wolverhampton, Walsall, Birmingham International and Heartlands. W e ru led out potent ia l

lo ca ti ons out si de B i rm i ngha m ci ty ce nt re on t he b asi s t ha t t hey w ould la ck su f ci en t d em and and

connect ivi ty to be viable as princ ipal s tat ions. They w ere referred for considerat ion as poss ible

in terchange stations ( for m ore in form at ion see section 3 .7) .

Determining the short listed options Stage Two

Figure 3.6b Possible station locations in Birmingham


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3.6.11 F i gure 3 .6b i s p rovided t o i llustra te b road ly t he loca tion i n B i rm i ngham o f t he various opt ions underconsideration in the second-stage s ifting process.

3.6.12 The re m a ining opt ions w e re i nvest iga ted and assessed a t a further leve l o f d etai l as p art o f t he

second stage o f opt ion s ift ing. A s w i th London s tat ion opt ions, the cri teria appl ied as part o f the

second stage s ift ing w e re as fo llo w s:

C o st s b as ed o n a n i n it ia l eva lu a ti on o f t he h i gh -le ve l s co pe w i th a g en eri c u n it ra te a pp li ed .

F e asib i li ty ( w i der i m pacts) th is covered engineering and construct ion feasib il ity, passenger

d ispersal onto exist ing transport ne tw orks and the potent ia l d isruption to and d isp lacem ent o f

the exist ing ne tw ork.

E n vi ron m en ta l, s oci al a nd s pa ti al con si dera ti on s u si ng t he si m pli ed A o S fra m ew ork.

D em a nd a ny relevant d em a nd a ssessm en t, w h ere th ou gh t to be m a teri al.

3.6.13 A t th e second sta ge si ft, w e took forw a rd o pti on s a t M oo r S treet, C u rzon S treet, F a zeley S treet a nd

W a rw i ck W h arf, a s show n i n F i gu re 3. 6c.








Fazeley Street

Warwick Wharf

Fazeley Street

Warwick Wharf

Preferred

Alternative?





Fazeley Street

Warwick Wharf

Proof House

STAGE TWO

STAGE THREE

Option not pursued

Option pursued

Figure 3.6c West Midlands stations sifting process Stage Two


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3.6.14 F i ve opti ons w ere rem oved a t thi s sta ge:

Moor Street (Terminal) West. The opti on o f a term i na l sta ti on on t he S o uth W est si de o f the

exist ing M oor S t reet station w as not pursued further because of i ts re lat ive perform ance aga inst

i ts co m para tor opt ion on the N orth E ast s ide, w h i ch w as st ronger i n t erm s o f c onstructab ili ty and

regenerat ion potent ia l and had fe w er environm ental i m pacts.

Curzon Street (Terminal). The opt ion for deve loping an e leva ted stat ion a t C u rzon S t reet w as

considered aga inst an e levated s tat ion a t F azeley S t reet . B o th s tat ion opt ions w ou ld be developed

on land w i th in t he E a stside regeneration area, a lthough the i m pacts o f t he m ore e asterly C u rzon

S t reet w ou ld be less d isruptive . C urzon S t reet w as considered in ferior as the s tat ion concourse

w ould be si gni can tly further fro m t he heart o f t he ci ty, and w ould o ffer w orse connect ivi ty w i th th e exi sti ng M oor S treet a nd N ew S treet sta ti on s.

Wholly new subsurface station options. O p tions for construct ing ne w subsurface stations in a

cave rn u ndernea th B i rm i ngha m C i ty C en tre w ere not pu rsued on the g rounds t ha t they w ould b e

prohib itively expensive , g iven that viable alternat ives existed w h ich w ould not require subsurface

construction.

Proof House. The opt ion o f a sta ti on on an east -w est a li gnm en t i n the a rea o f B i rm i ngha m n ear

P roof H o use w a s ru led out on the g rounds t ha t i t w a s si gn i cant ly i nfe ri or to t he nearby W a rw i ck

W harf opt ion, e specia lly i n t erm s o f heri tage i m pacts, g i ven i ts i m pacts on na tiona lly li sted

bui ld ings ( includ ing P roof H ouse i tse lf) and the ir se tt ing w i th in t he loca l C onservation A rea.

New Street (Terminal). N e w S t reet s centra l loca tion i n t he heart o f t he ci ty, and exce llent

on w ard ra i l l inks to the w i der reg ion m ake i t ostensib ly a very a t tract ive prospect for h igh speed

ra i l services. W e carried out a d eta i led feasibi li ty study a t N e w S t reet w h i ch led us t o conclude

tha t an opt ion a t N e w S t reet shou ld not be pursued further.

3.6.15 The re m a ining ve opt ions w e re analysed i n greater detai l. The case for or against any o f t he sta ti on

s ites considered has been determ ined as m uch by t he e ase w i th w h i ch the li ne could serve the m

as the m eri ts o f the s i te i tse lf. A s a hypothet ical exam p le , a cheap s tat ion s ite, easi ly access ible to

p assengers bu t w i th a h i gh ly d i f cu lt , m aybe largely t unnelled approach route, m ay yi eld bene t s

w h ich are a ll but eroded by the cost o f reach ing i t . The analys is o f potent ia l s tat ions m ust go hand-in-hand w i th analysis o f t he possible routes t o and fro m t he m .

3.6.16 A ccord ingly, the next sec tion reports on the process undertaken to i dent ify the best route opt ions

fo r crossi ng the W est M i dlands, a ccessi ng B i rm i ngha m a nd u lti m a tely rej oi ni ng t he W C M L, b efore

p icking up the stat ion s i ft ing process once m ore to present a com prehensive p icture of the overall

opti ons for H S 2 i n th e W est M i dlan ds.


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New Street StationN e w S t reet station currently operates a t c lose to capac i ty, requiring a ll o f i ts th irteen p lat form s ,

includ ing platform sharing, to provide for the full range of services on any typ ical day. The

ne ighbouring s tat ion a t M oor S t reet i s a lready being expanded to cater for p lanned developm ent

o f the W est M i dlands loca l ra il n et w o rk. N ew S t reet i s bounded b y tu nnels a t ei ther e nd and ci ty

in frastructure on e i ther s ide m aking expans ion to accom m odate an add it ional h igh speed tra in

ne tw ork i m pract ical w i thout d isp lacing a s ign i cant proport ion o f exist ing services.

I n o rder to p rovi de fo r h igh speed servi ces ( w h ich w ould approach N ew S treet f ro m t he e ast) a nd

ye t s ti ll m a inta in through operat ions for som e c lass ic services a t the w estern end, a p lat form

form a tion si m i lar t o t ha t d ep icted belo w w ould be requ ired. E ven thi s only g i ves three fu ll length h igh speed p lat form s to the north s ide , in p lace o f exist ing p lat form s 1 -3 , suf c ient only for

services to London. O ne o f these w ou ld be o f sub-standard w i d th for unrestricted passenger

m ove m ent and a ll t hree w ould extend outside the e xist ing stat ion boundary t o t he northw est ,

requ iring dem o li ti on o f bui ld ings. Tw o further p la tform s o f up t o 341 m , g i ving so m e s cope for t he

an ti cipa ted w i d er net w ork, could be created by re m oving the exist ing p la tform s 4, 4C and 5 .

U nder th is scenario , the overall capac ity for c lass ic services a t N e w S t reet w ou ld be severely

reduced from today s levels . In order solely to m a intain existing service levels into the centre o f B i rm i ngham ( leaving aside the p rospect o f gro w th) , an addi ti ona l new stat ion ( of poss ib ly

7 p lat form s ) w ou ld be required e lsew here in the c ity centre .

A d d it iona lly, t he s ign i can t eng ineering changes to N e w S t reet and i ts t unnelled approaches

w ould necessari ly be very expensive . The tunnels t o t he e ast o f N e w S t reet w ould need to be

lo w ered and w i dened to ach ieve the des ired E uropean gauge c learance . The s tat ion area and

approaches in each d irect ion w ou ld requ ire resignalling and re m odel ling to m a inta in access for

re m a in ing c lass ic services. Levels o f d isruption during construct ion w ou ld be very s ign i cant

over a nu m ber o f years.

Th e t ot al co st s o f co nve rt i ng N e w S t re et fo r h i gh s pe ed u s e, w h i le a ls o m a i n ta i n in g c urre nt c ap ac it y

fo r c la ss ic li n e s ervi ce s w a s e st i m a te d a t a ro u nd 1 . 6 b n, e xc lu si ve o f ri sk a n d o pt im i sm b i as .


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Creation and sifting of the West Midlands approach routes3.6.17 F i gure 3 .6d i llustrates the range of routes p lotted and invest igated during the year. M ind ful o f our

rem i t to p rovi de servi ce s to t he north by reconnect ing H S 2 w i th the W C M L, a nd t he d eci si on w e took

to serve B i rm i ngham ci ty centre as a p rerequ isi te , a range o f opt ions w as generated, e ach fa lli ng

in to one o f the fo llo w ing three broad categories:

R ou tes a rou nd B i rm i ng ha m , to the E a st a nd to the W est.

F rom th e rou tes a round B i rm i ngha m , s pu rs i nto a nd o ut o f B i rm i ngha m ci ty cen tre.

R outes d irectly through the c i ty centre .

3.6.18 A s w i th route s i n a nd a round London , i n u rban a reas w e sta rted fro m a posi ti on t ha t only exi sti ng

transport corridors or new tunnels should be considered as viable route a lignm ents ra ther than

large scale land c learance for an entirely ne w surface route.

Stafford

Rugeley

Lichfield

Tamworth

Nuneaton

Coventry

Balsall Common

Wolverhampton

KidderminsterSolihull

Birmingham

Legend

WCMLOptions not pursued beyond Stage TwoOptions proceeding beyond Stage TwoOptions refined for Stage Three

Figure 3.6d West Midlands approach routes considered


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1 1 3

3.6.19 The vari ous opt ions consi dered a re show n i n F i g ure 3 .6 d. O f th ese, m any w ere not p u rsued beyond th is s i ft ing s tage ( ind icated in dark grey) :

Routes around Birmingham to the west. R ou tes to th e w est of B i rm i ng ham w ere n ot pursued

on the basis that they offered no c lear advantages for accessing the c i ty centre and presented

s ign i cant environm ental and techn ical d i f cul ties, together w i th longer anticipated journey

ti m es, e speci ally i n connecti ng b ack o n to th e W C M L n orth o f B i rm i ngha m . S h ou ld t he

G o ve rn m en t i n t he fu tu re w i sh to e xtend t he l ine beyond t he W est M i dlands, t hi s ti m e p enalty

w ould be bui lt i n t o any fu ture net w ork.

Routes through Birmingham on the western side. Tw o routes through the w e stern area o f

B i rm i ngha m w ere exa m i ned , u si ng a m i xtu re of tu nnelled a n d su rfa ce a li gn m en ts. B o th w erepursued no further for the sam e reasons as above .

Several routes through the centre of Birmingham. Th e a n a lys i s u n d e rt a ke n a t t h i s s ta g e a llo w e d

u s to co nd u ct seve ra l p ai rw i se c om p ari so ns w h i ch i n t u rn m e an t s om e o p ti on s t hro ug h th e cen tre

o f B i rm i n gh a m co uld b e exclu d ed , f or re aso ns o f j ou rn ey ti m e o r e nvi ro nm en ta l i m p act , lea vi n g t he

s in g le b est p erfo rm i n g ro u te t o m o ve fo rw a rd t o t he n ext s ta g e.

An entirely tunnelled route into Birmingham. N o f urther w o rk w a s carri ed out on t hi s opt ion,

prim ari ly due to the considerable cost penalties w hen considered alongside other viable but less

costly alternati ves.

3.6.20 F o llo w i ng thi s round o f op tion s ift ing , t he re m a ining opt ions fe ll i n to e ssenti a lly t w o ca tegories .

F o r a ccessi ng the cen tre o f B i rm i ngha m , th ree opt ions rem a ined a ll o f w h ich w ere on t he su rface

( illu stra te d i n F i gu re 3 .6 e i n d ark g reen b elo w ) . F o r rej oi ni ng the W C M L, there w ere a fu rther th ree

opti ons ( illu stra ted i n shades o f b lue) . O n e w a s to h e ad north and rej oi n the W C M L th rough t he

centre o f B i rm i ngham , largely i n t unnel, and t w o opt ions re m a ined for ski rt ing round the ci ty t o t he

east , w i th a de lta j unct ion provid ing access to the c ity centre .

Easterly route around Birminghamwith inner delta junction

Easterly route around Birmingham,connecting to outer delta junctionwith the Water Orton corridor or adelta junction with the WCML corridor

WCML

Approach following Solihull corridor Approach following Coventry corridor

Approach following the Water Orton corridor

Route through Birmingham,largely tunnelled.

Birmingham

Figure 3.6e West Midlands route options remaining after Stage Two


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3.6.21 A t thi s sta ge a ll the opti on s for a ccessi ng B i rm i ng ha m cou ld be m a de to w ork w i th o ne or m ore ofthe re m a in ing s tat ion opt ions. G i ven the in terdependence bet w een stations and their approaches in

t he W est M i d lands , t hey are considered together fro m t hi s poin t forw ard .

Selecting the preferred and alternative options - Stage Three

3.6.22 F ro m t he short li st , t he se lect ion o f a p re ferred opt ion, w i th a lternati ves, w as gu ided by t he fo llo w i ng

criteria:

C onstruct ion and operat ional i m pacts.

The A ppra isa l o f S u sta inab ili ty fra m ew o rk.

C o sts.

E conom i c analysis ( w here re levant, for exam p le i nclud ing j ourney t im e bene t s) .








Fazeley Street

Warwick Wharf

Fazeley Street

Warwick Wharf

Preferred

Alternative?

Curzon Street (Terminal)New Street (Terminal)



Fazeley Street

Warwick Wharf

Proof House

STAGE TWO

STAGE THREE

Option not pursued

Option pursued

Figure 3.6f West Midlands station sifting process Stage Three

3.6.23 A s i nd ica ted i n b lue i n F i gu re 3 . 6f, the fo llo w i ng opti ons w ere si fted out a t t h is stage :


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1 1 5

Th ro u g h ve rs u s a ro u n d B i rm i n g h a m 3.6.24 A cri ti ca l q uesti on u n derlyi ng m u ch o f th e W est M i dla nd s opti on s ifti ng w a s w h eth er or n ot

B i rm i ngha m shou ld be s erved by a th rough sta ti on d irect ly on the m a in H S 2 l in e o r b y a spur o ff

the m a in li ne, w hi ch i tself w ou ld p ass a rou nd B i rm i ng ha m on i ts w ay to recon nect w i th t he W C M L

further north.

3.6.25 W e have been able t o answ er t ha t quest ion only a fter assessing the i m p li ca tions o f e ach a lternati ve

i n t erm s o f envi ronm ental and p lanning i m pact , cost and j ourney t im e ( as a p roxy for bene t s t o

t ransport users) . The p rospect o f rout ing H S 2 t hrough B i rm i ngham ( and thereby construct ing a

t hrough stat ion a t e ither M oor S t reet or C u rzon S t reet ) w as ru led out for t he fo llo w i ng reasons:

A s e xp la ined p revious ly, a t hrough stat ion i n B i rm i ngham ci ty centre

w ould require the construction of three open boxes of considerable

si ze . The stat ion box i tself w ould bear co m parison w i th t ha t bui lt for

S t ra tford I n ternationa l stat ion on H S 1 , i llustra ted i n F i gure 3 .6g. The

tow nscape and land take i m p licat ions o f these three open boxes in the

m idd le o f a c ity centre w ere thought to be unacceptable .

W h i le a through route m ay o ffer bet ter journey t i m es in to the centre o f

B i rm i ngha m , a ssessm en t of th e opti on s su ggested n o si gn i ca nt ti m e-

saving to through-running services. Indeed, due to speed restrictions

through tunnels , opt ions tha t t ake the li ne around B i rm i ngham to t he east appeared to offer slightly faster l ike-for-like journey t im es. The

cost in form at ion ava i lab le a t th is s tage o f the pro jec t, w h ich a lthough

not robust enough to be conclusive on i ts o w n , suggested a m arg ina l

d i fference i n favour o f a route around B i rm i ngham .

3.6.26 F o r th ese rea sons a ro ute th rou gh B i rm i ngha m ci ty cen tre, a n d w i th i t

t he t w o opt ions fo r th rough sta ti ons a t M oor S treet a nd C u rzon S t ree t,

w ere not pursued any further. O f the re m a in ing opt ions , the approach

to B i rm i ngha m th rou gh t he S oli hu ll co rri dor w a s com pa ti ble on ly w i th

a term i na l sta ti on a t M oor S t re et, a nd the C o ven try corri dor and W a terO rton approaches com pat ib le w i th both the stat ion opt ions a t F a ze ley

S treet and W arw ick W harf.

M o o r S t re e t t e rm i n a l s t a t i o n a n d t h e S o li h u ll co rri d o r

3.6.27 The sta ti on and approach package o f M oor S treet a nd the S o li hu ll corri dor w a s a lso p u rsued no

further at th is s tage , for the follo w ing reasons:

The south east/north w est a lignm ent in to the term inal station e ffect ive ly ru les out the prospect

o f fu tu re h igh speed se rvi ces north fro m B i rm i ngha m . H i gh speed tra ins d epart ing M oor S treet

for M anchester, for exam p le , w ould need to t rave l sou th dow n t he spur i n order t o re jo in t he m a in

H S 2 l ine and travel northbound round the east o f the c ity centre .


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1 1 6

W h i le t he S o li hull corridor w as less cost ly, i t w as i n ferior t o t he W a ter O rton a lternati ve - a nd c om pa rable w i th t he W C M L corri dor i n term s o f i ts en vi ronm en ta l a nd s oci al i m pa cts,

part icularly in term s of noise , vibrat ion, a ir quali ty (due largely to i ts proxim i ty to densely

residential areas) and w aste generat ion.

The proposed stat ion a t M oor S t reet perform ed poorly against t he opt ion a t F a ze ley S t reet i n

t erm s o f i t s i m pacts on the exist ing bui ld ings and t ow nscape . I n t hese respects i t w as b road ly

co m parable w i th t he W arw i ck W harf opt ion. There w ould a lso be d i srupt ive e ffects on exist ing ra i l

users.

O u t e r d elt a j un c t i o n w i t h t h e W a t e r O rt o n c o rri d o r

3.6.28 F o llo w i ng the i ni ti al round o f si ft in g, tw o op ti ons fo r connecti ng t he W a ter O rton corri dor to a m a in

route through the W est M i d lands re m a ined, e ach by a d elta j unct ion o ffering north and sou thbound

connect ions . A t t hi s stage o f si ft ing a d ecision w as m ade not t o pursue the outer delta opt ion, w h i ch

w as considered in ferior to the inner de lta due to i ts broader susta inabi li ty i m pact and the fact that i t

w a s i nco m pa ti ble w i th a n i nterchange sta ti on near the N E C , w h ich w a s b ei ng consi dered i n para llel

( see sect ion 3 .7) . The a lternati ve route t o re jo in t he W C M L w as re ta ined and, t ogether w i th t he

C oventry corridor access i n to B i rm i ngham , form s an a lternati ve w ay o f p ass ing through the W est

M i dla nd s.

Alternative station:Warwick Wharf

Preferred route into andaround Birmingham

(Water Orton corridor)

Alternative route intoand around Birmingham(Coventry corridor)

Preferred station:Fazeley Street

Figure 3.6h West Midlands preferred and alternative route options

3.6.29 A s a resu lt o f the short li st s i ft in g, w e w ere le ft w i th a preferred package o f opti ons i n t he W est

M i d lands , w i th a lternati ves. These are described i n t he re m a inder o f t hi s sect ion and su m m arised

in F i gure 3 .6h above . E i ther s tat ion opt ion w ou ld be feasib le w i th the preferred and a lternative

routes. In the fo llo w ing pages the t w o stations are described as i f served by the preferred route in to

B irm ingham .


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1 1 7

Preferred Bimingham Station Fazeley Street D e s i g n , c o n s t ru c t i o n a n d c o s t

3.6.30 O u r preferred s ta ti on s ite i n B i rm i ngha m ci ty cen tre i s a t F a zeley S treet. T he si te li es i m m ed ia tely

to t he north o f t he e xi sti ng W C M L i nto N ew S t re et sta ti on and i s, a t present , p redom i nantly d ere li ct .

The s tat ion w ou ld be an e levated s tructure , w i th a concourse a t the w estern end in the c ity centre ,

ad jacent t o t he exist ing M oor S t reet stat ion, w i th w h i ch the concourse could be connected . The

p roposed p la tform layout i s show n i n F i gure 3 .6 i.

HS2 Platforms

Concourse (Paid)

Concourse (Unpaid)

Lift

Escalator

Figure 3.6i Proposed Fazeley Street station platform layout

3.6.31 The stat ion, i nclud ing the p la tform s and approach t racks , w ould a ll be constructed on new vi aduct

( approxi m ately 450m in length ) ad jacent to the exist ing brick viaducts. These viaducts vary in he ight

up to approxi m ate ly 1 0 m above current road leve l and in the reg ion o f 2 m above the parapet o f the

cu rren t W C M L en trance to N ew S treet. W e expect th at th e sta ti on w ou ld b e fu lly en clo sed w i th n oi se

barriers incorporated along the northern perim eter w al l.


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3.6.32 I m portant ly, F a zeley S t reet could be bu ilt w i th m i ni m a l d isrupt ion to t he exi sti ng ra il n et w o rk and w i th no d i sp lace m ent o f classic ra i l services. D e sign w i ll b e cri ti ca l to creat ing a landm ark stat ion

w i th in B i rm i ngham . P redom inantly on vi aduct , t he stat ion could be constructed fro m stee l, concre te

and g lass w i th t he m a in p la tform s e leva ted on co lu m ns thereby m axi m i sing space for t hrough-

access below the stat ion and preventing severance of existing road l inks. This approach w ould also

perm i t an e asier form o f construct ion through the use o f li ght w e igh t m odu lar s ystem s co m b ined

w i th trad it ional construction techniques.

3.6.33 W e esti m a ted t he cost o f construct ing t he F a zeley S t re et sta ti on to b e 235 m . Th is i ncludes a ll

contractor costs but excludes locat ion-speci c construction risks, anc illary i tem s , environm ental

m i ti gat ion, land/TO C co m pensation , p ro ject costs and any route- w i de or p rogram m e leve l ri sks w h i ch are i ncluded i n t he overa ll s chem e costs.

P a s s e n g e r b e n e fi t s a n d d i s p e rs a l

3.6.34 The si te i s a s close to t he ci ty cen tre a s w e h ave b een able to n d a m ong vi able opt ions. C rea ti ng

e asy a ccess b etw e en a n ew h igh speed te rm i na l a nd the exi sti ng N ew S tree t sta ti on i s cri ti ca lly

i m portan t g i ven the la tter s ro le as a ra i l hub for t he w i d er ci ty and W est M i d lands region .

D i scussi ons w i th C e nt ro ( t he W est M i dlands I n tegra ted Transport A u thori ty) , A d vantage W est

M i dla nd s a nd B i rm i ngha m C i ty C ou nci l on t he d evelopm en t of i m proved a ccess betw een t he tw o

stat ions have i den ti e d opt ions for j oin ing the concourses a t N e w S t reet ( post i ts d eve lopm ent ) and

F aze ley S t reet through the use o f people m overs and travelators .

S u s t a i n a b i li t y

3.6.35 I n s ustainab ili ty te rm s F a ze ley S t reet w as on balance considered the best perform ing opt ion. The

adverse i m pacts largely concern tow nscape and heritage, but these are substant ially less than those

associa ted w i th t he a lternati ve a t W arw i ck W harf. A t p resent t he si te i s m ost ly vacant, a lthough the

p roposed footprin t w ould resu lt i n t he dem o li ti on o f t hree G rade I I li sted bui ld ings and som e m odern

s tructures. There w ou ld a lso be a potent ia l visual i m pact on the set ting o f a num ber o f o ther l is ted

bu i ld ings, but these e ffects m ay be m i t igated w i th revisions to the station footprint.

3.6.36 Th e F a zeley S treet opti on w ou ld h a ve a s ig ni ca nt i m pa ct on p la nned d evelopm en t, w h ich w e h ave

d iscu ssed a t len gth w i th m em bers of th e W est M i dla nd s w orki ng g roup. T here w ou ld b e a m a jor

adverse i m pact on current strateg ic regenerat ion p lans for the E astside area , w h ich overlaps the

proposed s tat ion s i te and incorporates proposals for a m ixed use schem e o f around 1 30,000m 2,

i ncludi ng o f ce , reta il a nd lei su re sp ace , a B i rm i ngha m U n iversi ty d evelopm ent a s w ell a s a st retch

of open park.

3.6.37 W h i le d i fferent e le m ents o f t he E astside schem e are a t varying stages o f t he p lanning p rocess, only

t w o o f t hese e le m ents have been constructed . P roposa ls for F a ze ley S t reet w ould requ ire dem o li ti on

o f o ne of th ese th e C u rzon G a te stu den t a ccom m od ati on d evelopm en t. H ow ever, t hi s i s n ot

consi dered to b e a m a jo r long term i m p act on the co m m uni ty si nce the block i s o nly fo r short- term

accom m odat ion , a lbei t for over 700 residents.


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1 1 9

3.6.38 A n ew sta ti on a t F a zeley S treet w o uld nonethe less o ffe r the opportun it y fo r redevelopm en t i nE astside, a lbei t over a d i fferent t i m e-scale and o f a d i fferent k ind than currently p lanned . I f

F azeley S t reet station w ere to be pursued , the c lose in tegrat ion o f i ts des ign w i th a revised p lan for

regeneration i n t he area w ould be an i m pera ti ve . There w ould a lso be scope for deve lopm ent on top

of the proposed station structure.

3.6.39 The approach to F a ze ley S t reet a lso crosses and shades a loca lly i m portan t canal, how ever thi s m ay

o ffer the opportuni ty to i m prove canal s ide habi tats. E arly assessm ent o f no ise ind icates propert ies

near the s tat ion w ou ld not experience a h ighly noticeable increase in no ise . F i gure 3 .6j i llus trates

the station footprint.

Fazeley Street Station Footprint

HS2 Preferred Route

Surface

Listed Building Grade I

Listed Building Grade II*

Listed Building Grade II

Statutorily Listed Buildings

Grade

I

II*

II

Locally Listed Buildings

Grade

A

B

C

Public Open Space

Private Open Space

Private Playing Field

Local Conservation Area

Grand Union Canal Conservation Area

Grand Union Canal

Flood Risk Zone 3

Flood Risk Zone 2

Individual Source Protection Zones

Key

Figure 3.6j Proposed Fazeley Street station footprint


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1 20

Preferred West Midlands routes the Water Orton corridor and innerroute through the West Midlands

D e s i g n , c o n s t ru c t i o n a n d c o s t

3.6.40 A m a p of th e preferred rou te i s provi ded i n F i gu re 3. 6k. F rom th e B a lsa ll C om m on a rea , th e rou te

w ou ld continue north w ards, cross ing over the M 42/M 6 on an e levated structure ; th is w ou ld replace

the exist ing A 452 trunk road w h ich w ou ld requ ire re locat ion to the north w est o f i ts current pos it ion .

A four t rack sect ion w ould curve around C o lesh i ll w i th t w o t racks pee ling o ff t o p ass a t grade to t he

w e st o f W a ter O rton and onto the e xist ing four t rack corridor i n to B i rm i ngham . The surface route,

a llo w i ng speeds o f u p to 2 00kph , w o uld conti nue i nto B i rm i ngha m d isp laci ng t w o o f the cu rren t

four t racks and passing under the M 6 and A 4040 ; a t t hese loca tions s ign i can t m odi ca ti ons t o t he exist ing h i gh w ays w ould be requ ired i n order t o clear the route for t he G C g auge ro lli ng stock. A s t he

route passes th rough the H eartlands a re a and W a sh w ood H ea th the a li gnm en t w o uld be e leva ted to

a llo w the tracks to cross over the ra i lw ay and canal and enter the throat o f F aze ley S t reet s tat ion .

Figure 3.6k West Midlands preferred routes


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3.6.41 F rom th e poi nt a t w h ich t w o tra cks leave to en ter B i rm i ng ha m , t he m a in li ne n orth w ould w ea ve a rou te th rou gh t he M 6, M 42 a nd M 6 Toll R oa d. T hi s i ntera cti on b etw een t he ra ilw a y a nd m otorw a y

netw o rk w ould re qu ire a si gn i cant n u m ber o f h ighw ay w o rks. A s fa r a s practi cable the route

w o uld run a longsi de o r over the trunk and m o torw a y system on a n um ber o f vi aducts. H o w ever,

as the track spli ts and approaches the exist ing W a ter O rton corridor the current M 6 w ou ld requ ire

re -a li gnm ent . I m p le m entat ion o f t hese w orks has been d i scussed , a t a t heore ti ca l leve l, w i th

t he H i gh w a ys A g ency and w e beli eve t ha t t he m a jo ri ty o f the w o rk could be u ndertaken w i thou t

s ign i cant d isruption to the transport system in th is area .

3.6.42 A s t he li ne o f route passes a round W a ter O rton t he a li gn m en t w o uld take i t over t he exi sti ng M 42/

M 6 To ll o n a vi aduct . Though no m a jo r w o rks a re expected to t he p hysi ca l m o torw a y net w o rk i n th isvic in i ty the construction of the necessary supports and viaduct spans w ould create som e d isruption

t o t he exist ing t ransport net w ork. The route w ould pass over the M 42 , north o f C o lesh i ll and use

vi aducts o ver exi sti ng o od p la ins. A p erm anen t d iversi on o f t he A 40 91 w o uld be requi red . E a st o f

Lich e ld , the preferred schem e w ou ld be e levated on a viaduct to cross over the A 38, the exist ing

ra ilw a ys ( in cludi ng t he W C M L) a nd the A 51 27. The vi aduct w o uld a lso go over the E n terp ri se

I ndustria l P a rk j ust t o t he sou th o f t he W C M L. The p re ferred schem e w ould t hen run para lle l t o t he

W C M L, connecti ng w i th i t n orth o f Li ch e ld . A g rade s epara te d j unct ion w ould b e requi red i n the

E l m hurst area to e ffect th is connection .

S u s t a i n a b i li t y

3.6.43 Th i s route w ould have f ew adverse e ffects on na tura l and cu ltura l resources; t he i m pacts w ould

be p rincipa lly associa ted w i th t he h i storic and w a ter envi ronm ents. The route w ould co m prise

som e 4km o f vi aduct a long a route length o f 7km , w here areas have been i den ti e d as h i ghest ri sk

o f o od ing. A s w i th m any secti ons o f route w i th in the overa ll schem e, the sect ion o f li ne th rough

t he W est M i dlands w ould resu lt i n a dverse i m pact s to t he co m m uni ti es th rough w h ich i t passes,

part icularly due to operat ional no ise , vibrat ion and dem oli t ions. O verall , ho w ever, the approach is

p re ferable to an approach to B i rm i ngham a long the m ore dense ly popula ted w e stern or southern

routes. N o ise and vibra tion i m pacts can t o som e exten t be m i ti gated and the requ ired land t ake and

de m oli t ions w ou ld be revie w ed and poss ibly reduced through subsequent design steps.

Alternative Station Warwick Wharf

3.6.44 Th e a ltern ati ve si te for a B i rm i ngha m sta ti on i s i n th e W a rw i ck W h arf a rea , to th e sou th o f th e

W C M L as i llustra ted i n F i gure 3 .6 l. Like F a ze ley S t reet , t he stat ion w ould be an e leva ted structure

and, a lthough on a d i fferent a li gnm ent , t he concourse w ould be i n a si m i lar posi ti on w i th in t he

ci ty cen tre, w i th si m i la r a ccess to t he sta ti ons a t M oor S t re et a nd N ew S treet . W e d o not a cti vely

recom m end a stat ion s ite a t W arw i ck W harf, but p resent i t here as an a lternati ve for t he purposes

of future consultation


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1 22

Figure 3.6l Proposed Warwick Wharf station platform layout

D e s i g n , c o n s t ru c t i o n a n d c o s t

3.6.45 A s w i th t he proposed s ta ti on a t F a zeley S treet, t he sta ti on w ou ld b e eleva ted o n a vi ad uct w i th a concourse area b ridging the exist ing W C M L and opening out onto M oor S t reet . The t opography o f

land i n t hi s a rea i s si gni cantly m o re challengi ng than a t F a zeley S tree t, w i th a si gn i cant land fa ll

i m m edia te ly t o t he south e ast o f t he sta ti on . Th is w i ll m e an tha t t he stat ion i tself w ould be e leva ted

on viaduct som e w ay above the current street leve l.

3.6.46 W e e st im a ted the cost o f construct ion a t 260m . Th is i ncludes a l l contractor costs but excludes

loca tion-speci c construct ion ri sks , anci llary i te m s , e nvi ronm ental m i ti gat ion, land/TO C

co m pensation , p ro ject costs and any route- w i de or p rogram m e le ve l ri sks w h i ch are i ncluded

in the overall schem e costs.

P a s s e n g e r b e n e fi t s a n d d i s p e rs a l

3.6.47 A sta ti on a t W a rw i ck W h arf w ou ld h a ve broadly th e sa m e pa ssenger bene ts a s F a zeley S treet, g i ven

the s i m i lar loca tion o f i ts concourse w i th in t he ci ty centre . The i m m edia te approach i n to t he stat ion

i s on a s lightly t ighter curve , w h ich w ou ld restrict speeds and lengthen journey t i m es s lightly.


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1 23

S u s t a i n a b i li t y 3.6.48 There w ould b e a m a jo r i m pact on the loca l to w nscape and the bu ilt character o f the loca l a rea ,

si nce t he s ta ti on si te fa lls i nsi de the W a rw i ck B a r C o nse rva ti on A rea o ne o f t he la st a reas i n

B i rm i ngha m o f lo w d ensi ty i nd ustri al h eri tage. A sta ti on on t hi s si te w o uld si gni cantly a ffect the

s treet pattern and bu il t character o f th is area as w e ll as that o f the ad jacent D i gbeth , D eri tend and

B o rdesley H i gh S treet s ( D i gbeth /D eri te nd C o nse rva ti on A rea ) . I t w o uld d irect ly i m pact a n um ber o f

h i storic i ndustria l bui ld ings and loca lly i m portan t landm arks. I t w ould a lso have a vi sua l i m pact on

the sett ing of a num ber of nat ionally l isted bu ild ings and create severance by isolating part of the

C o nserva ti on A rea fro m the re m a inder. The a ggregate i m p act w o uld be h ard to m i ti ga te and fo r t ha t

reason W arw i ck W harf co m pares un favourably t o t he F a ze ley S t reet opt ion. F i gure 3 .6 m i llustra tes

the station footprint.

Warwick Wharf Station Footprint

Alternative Approach to Warwick Wharf

Surface

Listed Building Grade I

Listed Building Grade II*

Listed Building Grade II

Statutorily Listed Buildings

Grade

I

II*

II

Locally Listed Buildings

Grade

A

B

C

Public Open Space

Private Open Space

Private Playing Field

Local Conservation Area

Grand Union Canal Conservation Area

Grand Union Canal

Flood Risk Zone 3

Flood Risk Zone 2

Individual Source Protection Zones

Key

Figure 3.6m Proposed Warwick Wharf station footprint


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1 24

Alternative West Midlands routes the WCML Coventry corridor andouter route through the West Midlands

3.6.49 W e h ave a lso c onsi dered an a lternati ve route i nto B i rm i ngha m a nd th rough t he W est M i dlands.

A ga in , w e consider th is route substant ia lly in ferior, but present i t here ( i llustrated in b lue , in F i gure

3.6n) for the purposes of future consultation.

Figure 3.6n West Midlands alternative routes, shown alongside the preferred routes


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D e s i g n , c o n s t ru c t i o n a n d c o s t 3.6.50 The a lternati ve route w ould j oin t he W C M L C oventry corridor e ast o f t he exist ing I n ternationa l

S ta ti on and M 42 m o torw a y, w i th t he t racks a li gned w i th in the exi st ing ra il corri dor. The route w ould

run to t he north o f the exi sti ng B i rm i ngha m I n ternat iona l S ta ti on . A t th is p oi nt a dd iti onal land w ould

be requ ired t o accom m odate the addi ti ona l t racks and a li gnm ent to a llo w a 200kph li ne speed .

F ro m B i rm i ngha m I n ternati onal t he route fo llo w s the cu rren t corri dor u nt il S tech ford w h ere i t

w o uld ri se above t he j uncti on and W C M L, re- jo in ing the tracks to t he w est o f S te ch ford . A s t he route

approaches S oho Junct ion the line w ou ld be e levated above the exist ing tracks and turn in to e i ther

F a zeley S tree t o r W a rw i ck W h arf. Th is a lternati ve opti on provi de s a si m i la r approach to B i rm i ngha m .

3.6.51 To th e ea st of B i rm i ngha m , t he li ne w o uld c ross th e M 6 sou th o f C olesh ill. T he li ne w o uld c urveto a voi d th e vi lla ge of W h ita cre H ea th , S h ustoke R eservo irs a nd t he S S S I of W h ita cre H ea th

N a tu re R e serve , w i th speeds rest ri cted to 3 00kph. The route w ould rej oi n t he W C M L n orth w est o f

Ta m w orth , a voi di ng t h e settlem en ts of M i dd leton, B a ng ley a nd M i le O a k, a s w ell a s D ra yton M a nor

P ark a nd H opw as H ays W ood.

3.6.52 A cce ssi ng B i rm i ngha m vi a t he C o ven try corri dor w ould restri ct the va lue o f n orthbound servi ces

from B i rm i ngha m , e ith er a s pa rt of th e D a y O n e servi ce, o r m ore si gn i ca ntly a s pa rt of a l on ger

t erm net w ork o f h i gh speed li nes . W h i le such services could access the p rincipa l H S 2 route north

from the C oventry corridor, they w ou ld in i tia lly have to travel south to do so, lengthen ing journey

ti m es.

3.6.53 A d op ti ng the a lternati ve route t hrough the W est M i dlands w ould a lso l im i t the po ten ti al o f a n

a dd iti onal sta ti on , w h ich a s w e exp la in i n t he next chapter w ould b ene t f ro m b ei ng loca te d a s a n

i n terchange w i th t he exist ing B i rm i ngham I n ternationa l stat ion, a i rport and the N a ti ona l E xh ibi ti on

C e ntre . I n order t o m ake the curve onto the northbound p rincipa l li ne, t he w hole route a li gnm ent

w ou ld be pushed out to the east , further a w ay from the a irport and assoc iated in terchange

opportun i ti es . There i s no obvious si te t o p lace a B i rm i ngham I n terchange stat ion on thi s route w i th

com parable connect ivi ty. W h i le i t m ay be poss ible to s ite such a s tat ion on the actual corridor in to

B i rm i ngham , t hi s w ould p revent northbound t ra ins fro m London fro m ca lli ng a t t he i n terchange

w h ich m ight, i n the longer term , prove an a t tract ive possib i li ty.

3.6.54 The current C oventry corridor i n to B i rm i ngham i s t w o t racks, a lthough h i storica lly sect ions o f t he

route fro m B i rm i ngham I n ternationa l t hrough to S t etch ford had been three. The i n tent ion under

th is opt ion w ou ld be to w i den the north s ide o f the exist ing corridor using e i ther exist ing ra i l land or

through local acqu isi t ion . The installat ion o f add i tional tracks a long s ide the W C M L pa ir w i ll create

a si gni can t i n terface i ssue and w e expect t hi s t o entai l si gni can tly m ore d i srupt ion to exist ing

services than the W a ter O rton route . Th is i s part ly because the corridor i s m uch m ore heavi ly

used . A further factor i s that there is considerably less space in w h ich to construct , m aking m ore

substanti al i m pacts on t he W C M L i nevi table even a fter m i ti ga ti on .


24/24


S u s t a i n a b i li t y 3.6.55 The adop tion o f t he a lternati ve route i n to B i rm i ngham a long the C oventry corridor w ould resu lt ,

overall, i n a w orse perform ance aga inst the susta inabi li ty object ives. F or m ost i ssues there w ou ld

be no s ign i can t d i fference . H o w ever, for w a ter resources, noise and co m m un ity i n tegri ty t he

a lternative route w ou ld be in ferior to the preferred schem e . O n ly for land resources w ou ld the

a lternati ve be bet ter, but i t w ould only be m arg ina lly so . W i th t he subst itut ion o f t he W est M i d lands

a lternative , an add i tional 295 propert ies w ou ld becom e isolated by transport in frastructure w h ich i s

a 1 70% increase over the preferred schem e .

Summary and key recommendations

3.6.56 W e esta bli sh ed t ha t a p ri nci pa l sta ti on w a s req ui red i n B i rm i ngha m ci ty cen tre a nd t ha t i t w ou ld

require s ix p lat form s to accom m odate services to a range of dest inat ions.

3.6.57 W e recom m en d th at the opti on a t F a zeley S treet i s ta ken forw a rd a s th e B i rm i ng ha m ci ty cen tre

stat ion i n t he p re ferred schem e . A st at ion a t W arw i ck W harf i s p resented as an a lternati ve , but w e

consider i t to be inferior to the preferred option, part icularly due to i ts i m pacts on local conservat ion

areas and i ts m arg inally longer journey t i m es.

3.6.58 W e a lso recom m end th at th e sta ti on b e a ccessed vi a th e corri dor a t W a ter O rton , w i th a li ne of

route th rough t he W est M i dlands rej oi ni ng t he W C M L a t Li ch eld . W e h ave i den ti ed a n a lternati ve

route i nto B i rm i ngha m a longsi de t he e xi sti ng W C M L, w i th a n a lternati ve li ne o f route th rough t heW est M i d lands f urther t o t he e ast re jo in ing the W C M L a t W h i tt ing ton. Th is a lternati ve i s cons idered

substant ially inferior to the preferred option, largely due to i ts greater environm ental and social

i m pacts, i ts i ncom pat ib ili ty w i th an opt im a l i n terchange stat ion and lengthen ing o f j ourney t im es t o

servi ces n orth f ro m B i rm i ngha m .

3.6.59 I f th ese opti ons w ere to b e taken fo rw a rd , w e suggest t h at f urther w o rk i n t he f ollow i ng a re as shou ld

be a priority:

The fu rthe r d esi gn o f F a zeley S t reet shou ld take place i n co llabora ti on w i th B i rm i ngha m C i ty

C ounci l, as prom oters o f the E astside developm ent. The proper in tegrat ion o f the s tat ion and

w i d er deve lopm ent w ould reduce the i m pact on current p roposa ls and m ay o ffer a substan ti a l

opportunity to s ti m ulate further regenerat ion and land use changes.

The opti m i sa ti on o f li nks to N ew S treet s ta ti on and the ci ty cen tre m o re genera lly w o uld a lso

be a n i m porta nt elem en t i n d esi gn in g a s uccessfu l h ig h speed t erm i na l i n B i rm i ngha m . W e

u nderstand that C e nt ro p lan to u ndertake a study o f li nks be tw een M oor S t reet a nd N ew S tree t i n

201 0 and recom m end that the potent ia l h igh speed ra i l term inal s ites are considered as part o f

th at w o rk.

A pa rti cu la r fo cu s for fu rth er w o rk o n th e rou te fro m th e d elta j u ncti on t o th e W C M L w h ich

w ould cross a nu m ber o f loca l roads w ould be on deve loping a greater understand ing o f t he

i n teract ion bet w een ra i lw ay, h i gh w ays and exist ing lando w ners.

chapter3c High Speed Rail London to the West Midlands and Beyond A Report to Government by High...

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