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==Details== ==Details==
===HS2=== ===HS2===
{{More citations needed section|date=November 2021}}
{{main|High Speed 2}} {{main|High Speed 2}}

Overview of Integrated Rail Plan relating to HS2:

# HS2 is a London-Wigan line;
# HS2 and West Coast Main Line branch into each other at four points;
# Branches off HS2 spine to: Manchester, Warrington, Birmingham, Litchfield, Crewe (two) and East Midlands Parkway;
# HS2 serves direct on high speed rail to: Wigan, Warrington, Birmingham, Manchester, Crewe and London;
# Two airports served: Birmingham and subject to local funding, Manchester;
# Leeds and Newcastle use upgraded East Coast Main Line to London;
# All eastern cities use Birmingham-East Midlands HS2 branch to access Birmingham;
# Midland Main Line upgrade is a few years away;
# Sheffield, Nottingham and Derby to London on Midland Main Line will equal HS2 journey times;
# No HS2 branches to southern English destinations;
# HS2 trains will use Northern Powerhouse Rail high-speed track from Millington junction, between Manchester and Warrington, to Warrington;
# Warrington to have a new station;
# Runcorn removed from HS2 services.

The plan as published significantly affected parts of the HS2 programme including curtailing much of the eastern leg.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Harris|first=Nigel|date=December 2021|title=IRP snuffs out 'levelling up'|journal=RAIL Magazine|volume=945|pages=3|via=Bauer Media}}</ref> HS2 was reduced to a single high speed spine, from London up to the north west of England to a point south of ], via ]. There will be branches onto existing conventional lines in the Midlands and North West. There are no branches to southern England destinations. HS2 parallels the conventional rail ] branching into the line at four points. HS2 below Birmingham is flanked by the ] and West Coast Main Line. The plan as published significantly affected parts of the HS2 programme including curtailing much of the eastern leg.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Harris|first=Nigel|date=December 2021|title=IRP snuffs out 'levelling up'|journal=RAIL Magazine|volume=945|pages=3|via=Bauer Media}}</ref> HS2 was reduced to a single high speed spine, from London up to the north west of England to a point south of ], via ]. There will be branches onto existing conventional lines in the Midlands and North West. There are no branches to southern England destinations. HS2 parallels the conventional rail ] branching into the line at four points. HS2 below Birmingham is flanked by the ] and West Coast Main Line.


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# ]. # ].


], ], ] and ] have all lost out in the plan in some way. Liverpool currently has parity with adjacent Manchester in journey times to London, as the two cities are equidistant from London. The initial HS2 plan put Liverpool about half an hour slower to London than ]. The Integrated Rail Plan shows a current typical journey time from London to Liverpool at 132{{nbsp}}minutes. The previous plan is quoted at 94{{nbsp}}minutes and under IRP at 92{{nbsp}}minutes, and thus some improvement.<ref>{{Cite web|date=18 November 2021|title=Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1034360/integrated-rail-plan-for-the-north-and-midlands.pdf|page=18|url-status=live|website=UK Government}}</ref> The Liverpool to Birmingham route was omitted from the initial HS2 plan, the Integrated Rail Plan still maintains that. ], within the ], loses out completely as HS2 trains are totally removed from serving the town.{{fact|date=November 2021}} Leeds and Newcastle have reduced journey times to London and Birmingham using the conventional rail ]. ], ], ] and ] have all lost out in the plan in some way. Liverpool currently has parity with adjacent Manchester in journey times to London, as the two cities are equidistant from London. The initial HS2 plan put Liverpool about half an hour slower to London than ]. The Integrated Rail Plan shows a current typical journey time from London to Liverpool at 132{{nbsp}}minutes. The previous plan is quoted at 94{{nbsp}}minutes and under IRP at 92{{nbsp}}minutes, giving little improvement.<ref>{{Cite web|date=18 November 2021|title=Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1034360/integrated-rail-plan-for-the-north-and-midlands.pdf|page=18|url-status=live|website=UK Government}}</ref> The Liverpool to Birmingham route was omitted from the initial HS2 plan, the Integrated Rail Plan still maintains that. ], within the ], loses out completely as HS2 trains are totally removed from serving the town. Leeds and Newcastle have reduced journey times to London and Birmingham using the conventional rail ].


====Additions and omissions to HS2==== ====Additions and omissions to HS2====
{{More citations needed section|date=November 2021}}
The plan added the centres of ], ] and ] to HS2. The existing stations at Derby and Nottingham will be served by HS2 trains entering the cities on conventional tracks from East Midlands Parkway. Warrington will have HS2 track direct to a reopened ]. The HS2 track from the east merges onto upgraded conventional track at the station leaving the west side onwards to ].<ref>{{Cite web|date=18 November 2021|title=Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1034360/integrated-rail-plan-for-the-north-and-midlands.pdf|page=13|url-status=live|website=UK Government}}</ref> The plan added the centres of ], ] and ] to HS2. The existing stations at Derby and Nottingham will be served by HS2 trains entering the cities on conventional tracks from East Midlands Parkway. Warrington will have HS2 track direct to a reopened ]. The HS2 track from the east merges onto upgraded conventional track at the station leaving the west side onwards to ].<ref>{{Cite web|date=18 November 2021|title=Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1034360/integrated-rail-plan-for-the-north-and-midlands.pdf|page=13|url-status=live|website=UK Government}}</ref>


Revision as of 20:14, 7 December 2021

The Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands, or more simply, the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) is a United Kingdom government proposal published on 18 November 2021. It concerns plans which will implement the development of rail services in the North and Midlands regions of England. It was published by the Department for Transport (DfT) and features forewords by Grant Shapps and Boris Johnson, but its publication was delayed a number of times with the COVID-19 pandemic being partially responsible. Some sources speculated the plan was to be cancelled rather than delayed. The IRP follows the Oakervee Review, which concluded that High Speed 2 (HS2) should be built, in full, with a couple of changes to reduce cost.

The IRP terms of reference document asked how HS2 Phase 2b could be integrated with various other schemes in the north and midlands. Reduction of cost and the temptation to over-specify were specifically mentioned. One of the inputs that was posed was the balance between use of consultants and in-house resources. The timing stated in the terms of reference was the end of the year 2020.

The aim of the plan is to integrate several extant main lines and many new rail projects, including, but not limited to, HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail, the Transpennine north railway upgrade, East Coast and Midland Main Line railway upgrades, the Midlands Rail Hub and the Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy amongst others. The plan was published was an attempt to coordinate and sequence these and not unnecessarily duplicate work.

The plan stipulated that some lines will be upgraded by electrification, digital signalling, updated overhead wiring, some new lines built in the North and Midlands, sharing of high speed track, curtailing sections of HS2 and lengthening of trains. The budget of the plan is £96 billion.

Details

HS2

Main article: High Speed 2

Overview of Integrated Rail Plan relating to HS2:

  1. HS2 is a London-Wigan line;
  2. HS2 and West Coast Main Line branch into each other at four points;
  3. Branches off HS2 spine to: Manchester, Warrington, Birmingham, Litchfield, Crewe (two) and East Midlands Parkway;
  4. HS2 serves direct on high speed rail to: Wigan, Warrington, Birmingham, Manchester, Crewe and London;
  5. Two airports served: Birmingham and subject to local funding, Manchester;
  6. Leeds and Newcastle use upgraded East Coast Main Line to London;
  7. All eastern cities use Birmingham-East Midlands HS2 branch to access Birmingham;
  8. Midland Main Line upgrade is a few years away;
  9. Sheffield, Nottingham and Derby to London on Midland Main Line will equal HS2 journey times;
  10. No HS2 branches to southern English destinations;
  11. HS2 trains will use Northern Powerhouse Rail high-speed track from Millington junction, between Manchester and Warrington, to Warrington;
  12. Warrington to have a new station;
  13. Runcorn removed from HS2 services.

The plan as published significantly affected parts of the HS2 programme including curtailing much of the eastern leg. HS2 was reduced to a single high speed spine, from London up to the north west of England to a point south of Wigan North Western railway station, via Birmingham. There will be branches onto existing conventional lines in the Midlands and North West. There are no branches to southern England destinations. HS2 parallels the conventional rail West Coast Main Line branching into the line at four points. HS2 below Birmingham is flanked by the Chiltern Line and West Coast Main Line.

Nine stations will be served directly by HS2 track, with most destinations using HS2 track being off the spine. The stations served directly by HS2 track are:

  1. London Euston;
  2. Old Oak Common;
  3. Birmingham airport;
  4. Birmingham Curzon Street;
  5. East Midlands Parkway;
  6. Warrington Bank Quay Low Level;;
  7. Manchester airport (depending on private funding);
  8. Manchester Piccadilly;
  9. Wigan North Western.

Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield have all lost out in the plan in some way. Liverpool currently has parity with adjacent Manchester in journey times to London, as the two cities are equidistant from London. The initial HS2 plan put Liverpool about half an hour slower to London than Manchester. The Integrated Rail Plan shows a current typical journey time from London to Liverpool at 132 minutes. The previous plan is quoted at 94 minutes and under IRP at 92 minutes, giving little improvement. The Liverpool to Birmingham route was omitted from the initial HS2 plan, the Integrated Rail Plan still maintains that. Runcorn, within the Liverpool City Region, loses out completely as HS2 trains are totally removed from serving the town. Leeds and Newcastle have reduced journey times to London and Birmingham using the conventional rail East Coast Main Line.

Additions and omissions to HS2

The plan added the centres of Warrington, Derby and Nottingham to HS2. The existing stations at Derby and Nottingham will be served by HS2 trains entering the cities on conventional tracks from East Midlands Parkway. Warrington will have HS2 track direct to a reopened Warrington Bank Quay low-level station. The HS2 track from the east merges onto upgraded conventional track at the station leaving the west side onwards to Liverpool.

The plan omits trains operating between London and the large cities of Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle using HS2. These cities will use the upgraded Midland Main Line and East Coast Main Line, with Leeds and Newcastle having longer journey times to London than the previous HS2 proposal, with Sheffield equalling HS2 journey times. However, Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield will use the HS2 section from East Midland Parkway station to for services to Birmingham.

Northern Powerhouse Rail

Main article: Northern Powerhouse Rail

The plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail and High Speed 2 involve building less high-speed rail than what was previously proposed.

The first full description of Northern Powerhouse Rail is included in the document. A link is introduced from HS2 to Liverpool via a section of new HS2 line from the reinstated low-level platforms at Warrington Bank Quay and onwards via upgraded sections of the St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway to Ditton junction where it joins the current line to Liverpool Lime Street. NPR and HS2 from Warrington to Manchester will share a west to east speed limiting, curvaceous, high-speed track through the Millington junction. The junction takes HS2 trains to the south.

A new high-speed line from Manchester to Marsden in Yorkshire is in the plan. The TransPennine line is to branch off the new high speed line from Marsden onwards to Leeds.

Further electrification and MML and ECML

Main articles: Midland Main Line, East Coast Main Line, and List of proposed railway electrification routes in Great Britain

A number of electrification schemes are referred to in the plan. The Leeds to Bradford via New Pudsey line was specified. The plan gives full digital signal upgrades to the Midland Main Line and East Coast Main Line (ECML), with the electrification of the Midland Main Line to Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield. The ECML will have 140 mph (230 km/h) operation in some sections. Newcastle, Leeds and Sheffield will use these lines to London instead of HS2. These cities will use the section of HS2 from East Midland Parkway to Birmingham, to access Birmingham.

Consequences, controversy and the future

One of the first direct consequences of the plan is that Transport for the North was stripped of its authority over Northern Powerhouse Rail. Control would transfer to the DfT. This resulted in accusations of a power grab by central government. The counter-claim by the government was made that £96 billion was still being spent on the plan and further claimed it was a record. The reaction from the rail industry and the rail industry press was scathing. Nigel Harris Managing Editor of RAIL Magazine called it an act of political spinelessness and stated it created a new east-west divide in the country. He further accused the government of selling the public total lies. Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham, the metro mayors of the Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester were scathing of the Integrated Rail Plan. Transport for North (TfN) sent a strongly worded letter demanding to see the data that led to the decisions. The Labour Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the paring back of Northern Powerhouse Rail was even more damaging than the axing of HS2 eastern leg. RAIL Magazine reported variously that the plan was widely condemned by industry, regions and MPs. The Shadow Transport Sceretary at the time Jim McMahon called it the 'Great Train Robbery".

See also

References

  1. "Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands" (PDF). UK Government. 18 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. Horgan, Rob (27 October 2021). "Budget reaction: Uncertainty for HS2 and NPR is causing 'untold damage' as wait for Integrated Rail Plan goes on". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  3. Brooke, Sam (20 July 2021). "Fury as Northern Powerhouse Rail plans delayed until at least September". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  4. Weinfass, Ian (22 October 2021). "Whitehall 'to delay publication of rail plans beyond Spending Review'". Construction News. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  5. "Integrated Rail Plan To Be Published Mid-November - Todayuknews". Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  6. "Rail plan delayed again - The Transport Network". www.transport-network.co.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  7. "Northern Powerhouse Rail isn't being cut back – it's being cancelled". The Independent. 15 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  8. "Oakervee Review of HS2". GOV.UK. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  9. "Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands" (PDF). UK Government. 18 November 2021. p. 147.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. "Terms of reference for an integrated rail plan for the north and midlands". GOV.UK. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  11. "Midlands Connect |". www.midlandsconnect.uk. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  12. Bamford, Lydia (18 November 2021). "£96bn Integrated Rail Plan to 'transform services' across parts of UK". Planning, BIM & Construction Today. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  13. Harris, Nigel (December 2021). "IRP snuffs out 'levelling up'". RAIL Magazine. 945: 3 – via Bauer Media.
  14. "Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands" (PDF). UK Government. 18 November 2021. p. 18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. "Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands" (PDF). UK Government. 18 November 2021. p. 13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. Topham, Gwyn (18 November 2021). "Boris Johnson's rail plan: what's in it and what was promised". the Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. "Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands" (PDF). UK Government. 18 November 2021. p. 10-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. "UK unveils new Integrated Rail Plan for Midlands and the North". www.railway-technology.com. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  19. "Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands" (PDF). UK Government. 18 November 2021. p. 15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. "Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands" (PDF). UK Government. 18 November 2021. p. 14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. "Labour attacks 'Whitehall power grab' over northern rail policy". the Guardian. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  22. "Boris Johnson strips Transport for the North of powers after it criticises rail cuts". The Independent. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  23. "Integrated Rail Plan: biggest ever public investment in Britain's rail network will deliver faster, more frequent and more reliable journeys across North and Midlands". dft-newsroom.prgloo.com. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  24. "England's scaled-back rail plans are not a betrayal, says Grant Shapps". the Guardian. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  25. "'An act of political spinelessness': industry reacts to government's rail plans". www.msn.com. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  26. "'An act of political spinelessness': industry reacts to government's rail plans". The Independent. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  27. "HS2: Rail industry blasts decision to scrap Leeds leg". uk.news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  28. "North West leaders react to HS2 U-turn and Northern Powerhouse Rail news". 18 November 2021.
  29. Horgan, Rob (30 November 2021). "Transport for the North demands to see DfT's technical work underpinning rail cuts". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  30. Integrated Rail Plan - Initial Response - Wednesday, 24th November 2021 at 1:30pm - Transport for the North Webcasting, retrieved 30 November 2021
  31. "Northern Powerhouse Rail downgrade 'even more damaging than HS2 axe', says Rachel Reeves". www.yorkshirepost.co.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  32. "Rail Betrayal". RAIL Magazine. 945: 3–9, 32–33. December 2021 – via Bauer Media.

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