The WCML capacity problem

The capacity shortage is south of Rugby. Going south, at Rugby there converge the two track route from Birmingham and the four tracks of the Trent Valley line which carry trains from Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow. South of Rugby, the West Coast Main Line separates into two routes just two tracks. The fast route goes through Weedon and Kilsby, the slow lines through Northampton. They re-join at Roade and continue as four tracks to Primrose Hill, at the approach to Euston. South of Watford Junction there are, additionally, the two suburban line tracks. From Milton Keynes southwards there is, additionally commuter traffic as well as services which run south of London via Olympia.

The HS2 alternative

This film confirms that the former Great Central alignment southwards from Rugby to Quainton Road, where the route to Aylesbury and London is still intact, remains substantially clear of development and is available for reinstatement as a 125 mph railway. Since, we are told, the reason for HS2 is to increase capacity, and the congestion is mostly south of Rugby, why don't they do the obvious thing and get on with the job? The east-west route can be done at the same time, all for a fraction of the cost of HS2, and in a fraction of the time?

Reinstatement of the connection to the GW main line between Ashendon Junction (north of Princes Risborough) and Grendon Underwood Junction is also feasible, and the connection between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury is still in use. Together with the planned reinstatement of the Oxford to Cambridge line, a useful interchange could be developed at Calvert where the Oxford-Bletchley line passes over the Great Central. When the need is for connectivity, these projects would make a worthwhile and useful package.