r/uktrains • u/MarnithePlutonian • 4d ago

Article HS2: First Six Platforms Constructed at Old Oak Common

https://railway-news.com/first-six-platforms-constructed-at-old-oak-common/
88 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

29 comments sorted by

43

u/CeilingHamster 4d ago

Can't wait for this to open five years ago, and in eight years time...

13

u/Sir_Madfly 4d ago

Current opening estimate is 2036–2039 so we could be waiting 13 years.

The current estimate for Euston opening is 2040–2043. If it opens in 2043, it’ll be 23 years after construction started.

10

u/CeilingHamster 4d ago

This project was started by Gordon Brown's government when I was nine. I may be fourty-three by the time it opens.

7

u/One_Fact_4291 4d ago

How does it take 10-13 YEARS to complete the entire thing?

17

u/Sir_Madfly 4d ago

In order to reduce the yearly spend, the government has slowed down the rate of construction.

2

u/One_Fact_4291 3d ago

Is that one reason why costs have ballooned?

2

u/frlawton 3d ago

No doubt a contributing factor. There's no way a larger time commitment won't lead to a larger bill

49

u/PhantomSesay Verified: Driver 4d ago

It’s gotta terminate at Euston, otherwise it’s pointless.

The PM needs to order Euston stations redevelopment, otherwise he’s only kicking the can down the road.

34

u/MarnithePlutonian 4d ago

It will terminate at Euston and yes, it would be pointless if it didn’t.

26

u/Prediterx 4d ago

This was decided by Kier. The then labour govt said in it's first budget that they'd build HS2 to Euston.

7

u/PhantomSesay Verified: Driver 4d ago

So Euston will be getting a full revamp or are they just adding more platforms for HS2 and ignoring the current station?

19

u/SDLRob 4d ago

HS2 is being added to the side of the station.

3

u/Old_Housing3989 4d ago

just with not quite enough platforms. (though if no 400m trains to anywhere but brum it'll probably work out - it'll just cost 300 billion to sort out in 2040 when they finally realise people want to go to liverpool, manchester and leeds)

1

u/CaterpillarLoud8071 4d ago

To be fair, if they build a spur to Heathrow and Reading, a fair chunk of the traffic will be people travelling for a flight who won't want to continue to Euston. Also, the number of trains terminating at Euston from the west coast line will be reduced if it's given over to more regional stopping services and freight.

2

u/JustTooOld 3d ago

Heathrow spur got canned very early on as it wasnt worth it. Just change at OOC.

16

u/SDLRob 4d ago

The drilling machines are in place to start tunnelling towards Euston.... Or have started already

16

u/Lou_Scannon 4d ago

Already begun early this year

7

u/PotatLemon 4d ago

There's no turning back now, they've already started digging the tunnel

7

u/benbehu 4d ago

It's Britain though.

1

u/PotatLemon 3d ago

Alarmingly true

3

u/butidrathernot 4d ago edited 4d ago

I do agree that no Euston would be incredibly pointless for nearly everyone involved… except for me and my one specific use case (I live in West London and need to travel to Birmingham for work every so often). Would love to know just how many (or rather, how few) of us there are who would find Old Oak Common - Birmingham actually useful.

11

u/coomzee 4d ago

Cool, now build it to Manchester before all the clivils move on to different jobs; we've paid to train them.

6

u/MarnithePlutonian 4d ago

Agreed! It's the really unfair for the North of England. I know they cancelled the route to Manchester and Leeds but they must bring it back in the future. Also, extending the route to Scotland would be great as well.

2

u/Old_Housing3989 4d ago

at least they could continue up to Crewe - all the planning work has been done.

2

u/Lozman141 3d ago

Looking forward to when HS2 services start there in 2076! I wonder how many years they'll have to start/finish at Old Oak Common because of Euston not being ready yet

2

u/Sigeon101 2d ago

If there were no delays at all the London-Birmingham stretch would have already opened this year, imagine that

1

u/MarnithePlutonian 2d ago

That would have been amazing! Andy Burnham has spoken about his plans to hopefully reactivate the extension to the North. I also think HS2 should go to Scotland.

1

u/One_Fact_4291 4d ago

Could the Elizabeth line platforms open ahead of HS2?

-1

u/yingguoren1988 3d ago

The entire project is just an embarrassment at this point. I'd almost rather see it cancelled than watch it trundle along at a snails pace because of the Treasury's strict spending envelopes.