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Campaign grows to switch the building of HS2 station to Sheffield city

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That is until someone calculates the extra time it will take to get in and out of the city centre via their route, at which point they'll be told to FRO.

or they'll baulk at the extra cost of it.

 

Either way, it's a non-starter.

 

I wouldn't be so sure if the Tories do follow through with their plans for Northern Powerhouse rail then the case begins to become even more powerful for a city centre station. The alternative might be that all these new routes bypass Sheffield city centre which puts Sheffield at a major disadvantage - while the cynics here will say that the government's plan all along if we don't make the case the whole of South Yorkshire will be a domitory county.

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I wouldn't be so sure if the Tories do follow through with their plans for Northern Powerhouse rail then the case begins to become even more powerful for a city centre station.

 

The 'Northern Powerhouse' is generally cited as Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle

putting silly little Sheffield in the way of trains to Leeds isn't going to be viewed favourably.

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The 'Northern Powerhouse' is generally cited as Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle

putting silly little Sheffield in the way of trains to Leeds isn't going to be viewed favourably.

 

Troll much?

 

The Northern Powerhouse includes all cities regions even Hull. Manchester is leading the way in it's progress towards Osbourne's plan with city region mayors. Sheffield is actually closer to achieving a city deal than any other area.

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I thought the Northern Powerhouse idea had already died a death, when it turned out no-one was actually willing to put any money towards the idea.

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Troll much?

 

The Northern Powerhouse includes all cities regions even Hull. Manchester is leading the way in it's progress towards Osbourne's plan with city region mayors. Sheffield is actually closer to achieving a city deal than any other area.

 

Dream on. The prime infrastructure for decades has been to link Liverpool/Manchester with Leeds/Bradford. I've seem little to suggest that is about to change. Where is the trans-Pennine rail link, or the trans-Pennine motorway. 30 miles to the north of Sheffield, that's where.

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much in the same way sheffield airport is 30 miles to the east

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Great Central

 

1951 Conservative government elected.

 

1958 GC loses mainline status as it was seen to be a duplicate of the MML and its traffic was mainly freight which was in decline.

 

1960 Last express trains ran from Sheffield/Manchester to London

 

1961 Beeching becomes Chairman of British Railways Board

 

1963 Beeching report - objected to by labour

 

1964 Labour government with Harold Wilson as Prime Minister

 

1965 Second Beeching report rejected by Labour and Beeching leaves

 

Beeching and Wilson were not responsible for the demise of the GC but they failed to preserve the route on closure . Would Nottingham and Leicester have put up with long viaducts through their city centres, decaying for 60 years?

 

Harold Wilson was in power from 1964 to 1970 and the line was closed from 1966 to 1969,he had plenty of time to step in and stop it but chose not to.The line was never used to its full potential because of a lack of suitable locomotives to make use of the potential high speed nature of the line.Somebody has probably worked out how quickly a modern high speed electric train could have gone from London to Sheffield if the line still existed.I am guessing it would be much faster than the zig zagging Midland mainline.

 

---------- Post added 26-02-2016 at 18:44 ----------

 

I know some people do not like any Labour governments to be criticised in Sheffield but i think you will find Harold Wilson closed many more rail routes than the previous Tory pm.Try looking into the Beeching report to get the full facts.I have several books on it and also on the GCR line.I do not claim to be an expert but i am quite knowledgeable on the subject.The link explains a bit about the Beeching report.

 

http://www.londonreconnections.com/2013/the-beeching-report-50-years-on/

Edited by ghost rider

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Harold Wilson was in power from 1964 to 1970 and the line was closed from 1966 to 1969,he had plenty of time to step in and stop it but chose not to.The line was never used to its full potential because of a lack of suitable locomotives to make use of the potential high speed nature of the line.Somebody has probably worked out how quickly a modern high speed electric train could have gone from London to Sheffield if the line still existed.I am guessing it would be much faster than the zig zagging Midland mainline.

 

---------- Post added 26-02-2016 at 18:44 ----------

 

I know some people do not like any Labour governments to be criticised in Sheffield but i think you will find Harold Wilson closed many more rail routes than the previous Tory pm.Try looking into the Beeching report to get the full facts.I have several books on it and also on the GCR line.I do not claim to be an expert but i am quite knowledgeable on the subject.The link explains a bit about the Beeching report.

 

http://www.londonreconnections.com/2013/the-beeching-report-50-years-on/

 

And it was Harold Wilson's Government that halted work on the part constructed motorway between Sheffield and Manchester.

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Putting the HS2 station in the centre of Sheffield will mean tunnelling under built up areas which will add to the cost and give us a load of subsoil/rock to dispose of.

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As a Sheffield resident I would never use HS2 at Meadowhall. Why travel out there, wait, change trains or tram only to spend possibly more time doing that then get on a slower direct train from Sheffield Midland?

 

And how does either option serve all the people of South Yorkshire? Someone, somewhere is going to have a difficult journey to connect with HS2. And how does shaving minutes of the journey miraculously bring prosperity, more jobs, inward investment to the region?

 

I find the case overstated.

 

I think all most people want is a commitment to a rail network that continues to be improved everywhere over time. A single HS line can only ever benefit a few alongside or near to the direct route. I'd rather see a long-term solution that benefits "the many" by upgrading the existing network for all the major towns together with improved connecting links.

 

Now if HS2 were the beginning of that wider network that would be different...

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As a Sheffield resident I would never use HS2 at Meadowhall. Why travel out there, wait, change trains or tram only to spend possibly more time doing that then get on a slower direct train from Sheffield Midland?

 

And how does either option serve all the people of South Yorkshire? Someone, somewhere is going to have a difficult journey to connect with HS2. And how does shaving minutes of the journey miraculously bring prosperity, more jobs, inward investment to the region?

 

I find the case overstated.

 

I think all most people want is a commitment to a rail network that continues to be improved everywhere over time. A single HS line can only ever benefit a few alongside or near to the direct route. I'd rather see a long-term solution that benefits "the many" by upgrading the existing network for all the major towns together with improved connecting links.

 

Now if HS2 were the beginning of that wider network that would be different...

 

 

I doubt HS2 will even do that. For it to bring prosperity it needs to stop. Much of the time saved on journeys is by not stopping at stations. So the HS2 will cut most communities in half but bring no benefit other than to those collecting the train numbers as the high speed trains whizz by.

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As a Sheffield resident I would never use HS2 at Meadowhall. Why travel out there, wait, change trains or tram only to spend possibly more time doing that then get on a slower direct train from Sheffield Midland?

 

And how does either option serve all the people of South Yorkshire? Someone, somewhere is going to have a difficult journey to connect with HS2. And how does shaving minutes of the journey miraculously bring prosperity, more jobs, inward investment to the region?

 

I find the case overstated.

 

I think all most people want is a commitment to a rail network that continues to be improved everywhere over time. A single HS line can only ever benefit a few alongside or near to the direct route. I'd rather see a long-term solution that benefits "the many" by upgrading the existing network for all the major towns together with improved connecting links.

 

Now if HS2 were the beginning of that wider network that would be different...

Completely agree. I don't feel "domestic" users will have any benefits - many losses, in fact, from destruction of homes, businesses and our countryside. It feels like we are being left with very little "up North" to warrant business travel from the south. What business expansion is there likely to be only on the back of what we are being told about HS2, much of which is somewhat hazy? Will new businesses take the risk of development prior to HS2 or will they wait for HS2 to come first?

Pessimistic I may be but I have a grave niggling doubt that the southern part may well be accomplished only for our northern part to be delayed/put on hold. The north/south divide will become even greater.

If I'm wrong and it does happen and new large businesses haven't been developed up here, then until they are, the travel will still be one way - north to south!

As regards our existing networks. As an elderly couple, no longer driving, I have recently explored rail services for access to numerous places, north, south, east and west. Most journeys would be horrendous - with up to 4 changes to make for what, on our small island, would be a relatively short journey.

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