Posted 28th May 2020 | 4 Comments

£2.7bn East Midlands plan unveiled for HS2 links

A BOLD plan costed at £2.7 billion for the area around the HS2 hub in the East Midlands has been published by a group of councils, transport bodies and East Midlands Airport.

The core of the scheme is the future East Midlands Hub at Toton, and the plan proposes direct access to the Hub from more than 20 cities, towns and villages in the East Midlands.

The plan has been published as politicians and business leaders from the lobbying group HS2 East urge the government to demonstrate its commitment to building the eastern branch of HS2 from Birmingham to Leeds via the East Midlands, as the National Infrastructure Commission works on an Integrated Rail Plan for the region. HS2 East said the NIC’s Plan was being prepared at a ‘pivotal time’, and must include the Birmingham-Leeds route.

There are three phases to the East Midlands Hub proposals. The first is designed to be completed by 2030, to stimulate development in the area around the future Hub even before HS2 trains arrive. It includes an extension of the Nottingham tram system NET to Toton Lane, four trains an hour to the Hub site from Leicester, Derby and Nottingham and new bus routes from the HS2 Hub to Amber Valley, West Bridgford and Clifton.

The plan also envisages new train services from Mansfield, Derby and Leicester.

Phase Two (completed by 2040) adds a new station at East Midlands Airport and connections from the East Midlands Hub to Derby by tram or fast buses. The station at East Midlands Airport would allow a direct journey to Leicester in 15 minutes, to Derby in 18 minutes and to Nottingham in 26 minutes.

The last phase, to be completed within 25 years, includes more rail connections to the South Derby Growth Zone and Rolls Royce site, plus tram-trains serving Long Eaton, a planned housing development to the west of East Midlands Airport, Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station and the East Midlands Gateway logistics site.

Midlands Connect and Midlands Engine chairman Sir John Peace said: ‘The arrival of High Speed Two is a watershed moment for our region, and an opportunity that we must grasp with both hands.

‘As we work towards an economic renewal post-Covid19, the East Midlands must step forward and work together to secure the transport network, economic future and social mobility it deserves.’

Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

  • Michael, Reading, Berks, EU

    IF local NIMBYs and NIMLEs do not want to see a viaduct because they think it will be unsightly... they personally fund their section or have fund raisers for their section to be clad in things such as portland stone... with ivy etc.
    What are the two most iconic stretches of railway in UK?
    The viaduct in Scotland - used in the Potter films and many others.
    The Dawlish coast hugging section.
    If the countryside is So scenic, put it on pillars/viaducts so the passengers can see and appreciate it. I personally would not think of a couple of track 1435 wide with space between and on each side.
    HS2 rolling stock should be 3.4ish metres wide as it adds extra seat to every row of seating. The width as in Sweden and China.
    People always forget the purpose of HS2! The WCML is at...Over capacity.
    There is not the capacity to add 20+ tph. The WCML does not have the land to add another set or rails adjacent.
    HS2 is a patch project... to leap frog the first 100km out of London.
    We have never had a government or BR etc with a grand masterplan to connect any two locations in UK in under two hours.

  • Garth, Dunkeld

    There is no justification for routing trains from Nottingham and Derby via Toton Parkway; without new lines there would be a time-consuming reversal and on existing congested tracks. There is every justification for them connecting to HS2 directly, although not necessarily at twice-hourly frequency. Toton Parkway will serve a different hinterland, one such as the Erewash valley that is currently not well connected.
    Building high speed lines up in the air as suggested would have a highly damaging effect on the fabric of much of middle England, and is quite unnecessary. I'm no tree-hugger, but as a former railway manager I am very much in favour of high speed lines, but not at the expense of the countryside or its people. The effect on Long Eaton of having a high level line through the town will be considerable, but in this case there is very little alternative.

  • Michael, Reading, Berks, EU

    Toton Parkway Station ... to be built Properly would have HS2 extended to Nottingham Central and Derby Stations. The distance is relatively short so the cost would be minimal to relay new rails a bit further apart with OHLE.
    Nottingham could then have Two direct services to London - via Toton Parkway and Two Direct Services to the North - via Toton Parkway station.
    This would be replicated to enable Derby to have Two Direct Trains per Hour to London and two to the North - both via Toton Parkway Station.
    This would be supplemented by local trains between Nottingham and Derby (via East Mids Airport) with a frequency of Six Trains per Hour. Trams being the all stop services would run every 5 to 8 minutes - more tph when required at peak travel times.
    There are several locations along HS2/3 being like the New French TGV line to Boudreaux. The main HSR is direct between Paris and Boudreaux with at speed to / from the other urban conurbations along the route.
    Whilst in the actual 'build' phase, the end of line for HS2 in Manchester - needs to be made into a 'through station' to provide Manchester to Glasgow and Edinburgh.
    Having the parkway stations are useful such as Ebbsfleet but Ebbsfleet is an epic fail as their is No direct connection to the North Kent Line (east and west) nor a off/on for Maidstone - to LGW then LHR then connect with GWR, HS2, Luton Airport, WCML, MML, and ECML with a joining to the rails to Stanstead. All the large urban conurbations and airports can been connected with HS4Air through Channel Tunnel to CDG, Brussels, and Schiphol / Amsterdam etc.
    BUILD the HSR lines STRAIGHT, LEVEL, on pillars at least 10m above ground level. A One Square Meter base support structures would be less of an impact on all the things the tree huggers complain about - Especially those Ancient Forests in England! I have yet to find any Ancient Woodland/Forests anywhere in England.
    With HSR constructed on Straight, Flat, Direct (shortest distance between two points)... train technology will be advanced to point of trains capable of over 450kph. This will make any two points in the UK within Two Hours travel.
    This would remove traffic from highways plus would virtually totally eliminate internal UK (domestic) flights.
    Inverness to Plymouth or Landsend in under two hours. Inverness to Channel Tunnel in under two hours. Glasgow and Edinburgh to London in just over an hour.
    Add to this speed increases with additional LGV's on the other side of the Channel Tunnel and it would be possible to travel Glasgow to Paris in about three hours. Airports would only be for Longhaul flights greater than 1500 to 2000km distance.
    Yes this will require HS2, HS3, HS4Air, HS5, HS6, HS7, HS8, HS9, HS10 and their associated spurs off/on the main trunk HSRs.
    China has reached the 39,000km of NEW HSR in under TEN YEARS!
    When HS2 opens it will have been 33+ years from concept to actualisation.

  • jak jay, surrey

    Another load of hot air to a railway 3 quarters of the population have never heard of! what's needed is a high speed railway across the Pennines i.e. Liverpool/Manchester to Leeds,Sheffield,York and Newcastle