HS2

A number of years ago I wrote this piece on my thoughts about HS2.

*Since then I have spoken with academics and researchers who work on transport infrastructure, including one person who is a key government advisor on large infrastructure projects (he patiently listened to my thoughts, agreed and then expanded on them in many ways which went over my head!). Their insights all align with my opinion that the HS2 project is so flawed as to be a bad idea.

HS2 is at the top of our news headlines again - possibly because the government don't want people to remember about the Russia report, Jennifer Arcuri etc or notice the fact that they've already reneged on multiple election promises and their press/media have exhausted the Harry and Meghan thing for the time being.

Upgrading our transport network is long overdue: in it's current state it is embarrassing and barely fit-for-purpose. But I don't think HS2 is the way to go about it.

I live less than 8 miles from Manchester City Centre and I commute into Manchester for work. I'm in my 40s and out of all of my friends and acquaintances in Manchester, Cheshire, Lancashire and other parts of the UK including the South East, I don't know anyone who commutes between London and Manchester/"the north" (wherever that is). Some occasionally travel to London/South East for meetings but not enough to warrant this kind of money being spent on infrastructure. I can count on one finger the number of people I know who regularly commute between Manchester and other northern cities: the overwhelming majority of people commute from their homes in  suburbs/villages/towns to large towns and cities for work. Average distance travelled by rail in England is 30 miles (17 miles in London) so I'm not inclined to believe that inter-city travel, which is pretty well-served is the priority.

So what is the purpose of HS2? HS2: Whose Line is it Anyway? features a few people who know a lot about it giving a few reasons.

But even if we ignore the idea (fact, in my view) that it started and has been continued to suit certain politicians at particular points in their career, the environmental issues, the mixed messages (which alone suggest that those responsible don't have solid reasons for doing it), is it sensible to spend this much money on one project at a time when the "network" we already have is failing thousands of commuters every day? HS2 is going to cost far more than the entire 2019 Labour manifesto which apparently was going to bankrupt the UK - and that included re-nationalising the fragmented and failing privatised rail network. Let's assume for a minute that HS2 is necessary from a speed or capacity point of view. Tickets on HS2 will be at least as expensive and probably considerably more expensive than current tickets to/from London. Is that really going to persuade people who don't already get the train to do so?

We desperately need to get people out of their cars and onto bikes and public transport. This is only going to happen if we spend large sums of money not on one route to/from London but on improving local and regional rail, bus and cycle provision. Then and only then can we consider a fancy new line in the middle of the country. Many people claim that this infrastructure will speed up local rail as well by shifting capacity onto a new line but the evidence for this seems totally flawed to me and one person I have spoken to who definitely knows what they are talking about* has explained how we can massively increase capacity if we implement the European system of train scheduling on our current network.

The bigger question for me is why are so many people commuting into densely developed areas in the first place? I've written about this in the past and won't repeat it here but with modern technology, we don't all need to be in cities and the benefits of spreading at least some work out of the cities are manifold.

I want to reiterate my view that the UK desperately needs huge investment in transport infrastructure and it is not the cost of HS2 that concerns me (I'm a socialist and believe in higher taxes and investment in projects that will benefit people and our environment!). What concerns me is that this is a folly which will only serve to increase the number of people commuting to/from London and that the vast majority of people will see absolutely no benefit.

Commuting from Gee Cross (Hyde) to Manchester

I saw a post on the Cycle For Manchester blog (which apparently was based on this one) and as I am permanently grumpy about my commuting options I thought I'd do my own - albeit one which looks at the options based on doing the School drop-off and getting to the office on time.

Background: 

We used to live in a flat Chorlton but needed to buy a house and wanted a garden, so we looked at other areas. Our options were limited but we made sure we were no more than a mile away from a train station so that I could commute into Manchester by train. We ended up moving to Gee Cross in Hyde.

We're lucky that we live only a 5 min walk from our son's School so I walk him there. This means I start work at 10 am and finish later/catch up at home or on a day working from home.

1) Train.

Drop off at 8.50. It takes nearly 20 mins to walk to the station (I can do it in 15 if I'm in a rush!) and the next train I can get is at 9.25. If it's on time (ha!), I get to Piccadilly at 9.48. From there, not allowing for station crowds/barriers etc, it takes me about 20 min to walk to my office at the University. The earliest I've made it in by is 10.10, which is 10 mins late.

On time: No.
Experience: Don't mind the walk - it's a rare opportunity to listen to music or podcasts. The trains are old, packed, hot, noisy, uncomfortable and unreliable.
Cost: £7.00 per day or £1000+ for a 12 month season ticket.
Rating: 0/10

2) Bus. 

Even if the timetables are accurate - and even after 9 am I doubt very much that is the case - the earliest I could get to work after School drop-off is 10.20. 20 mins late for work.

On time: No.
Experience: Never tried it!
Cost: £16.50 per week or £595 per year.
Rating: 0/10

3) Combined Train and bus.

Again, even if the buses and trains are running to schedule, the quickest route which involves walk, bus, walk, train, walk, bus, walk (!) will only get me to work by 10.05 - 5 mins late.

On time: No.
Experience: I've never done it but all of those changes and all of that money and still not getting to work on time would drive me insane.
Cost: prohibitive!
Rating: -100/10

4) Cycling.

My route 7.8 miles and take me through Hyde town centre then down the A57 through Denton and Gorton and then from the Apollo down Brunswick Street to the University campus. Google says it takes 41 mins; Komoot thinks someone of my fitness can do it in 32 but the quickest I've done it is 35 mins (which would probably be 32 mins plus traffic/stopping at junctions).

On time: Yes!
Experience: Pretty hellish. The traffic is horrible, the road is narrow in places and grumpy drivers jostling for position don't want bikes in their way. The surface is poor, there is virtually no provision for cyclists whatsoever (there's a bridge over the M60 in one direction and a cycle route over the roundabout in the other, two short bus lanes I can use and one section where there's actually a painted cycle lane which is about 50 m long and ignored by drivers) and the air quality is dreadful. Then there's the hassle of taking a change of clothes and shoes, a towel, shower gel, deodorant etc, the time spent showering (which for me is in a different building from my office), then there's bad weather... Other routes aren't really worth considering. One would take me through Reddish Vale so not ideal for a hybrid with no suspension, plus it's much further and would not leave me with enough time to shower. On a positive note: I do appreciate the exercise - I don't have a lot of spare time otherwise - and although there are plenty of bad drivers I do accept that most are actually fine. And I can get to work with just enough time to have a shower and be at my desk by 10am!
Cost: Bikes, gear, maintenance etc doesn't come cheap but it's cheaper than any of the other options.
Rating: 5/10. I'm feeling generous today because I made it in without being killed or threatened*

5) Combined Cycling and train.

This was my original plan after my son started School. I'd barely been on a bike for a decade (didn't need to/wasn't very fit/lived in flats and bike storage was a problem/was very wary having been knocked off at speed on Deansgate many years ago) and where I live is quite hilly so I didn't think I would find the whole commute doable. I'd even gone ahead and bought a 12 month season ticket and it would work out that if the train was on time I'd get into the office just before 10 am (with no need to shower!).

The plan was to cycle to the nearest station (one mile) cycle from there to work (one mile) and back again, maybe taking in a more scenic route occasionally or a different train route if my nearest one was delayed etc. The problem I have is getting the bike on the train. It's fine in the morning because it's post rush-hour but in the evening, when the train is usually only two coaches, it's a real problem. Many coaches have inadequate spaces (often no long enough for an adult bike!) meaning you're taking up seating space and have your bike at an angle which makes it hard for people to get past. Even where there are proper bike racks, I still have problems getting on: if you're waiting for the train to arrive, you don't know what type of coach it's going to be so can't judge where to stand, and you don't know where the bike storage section will be. If the train is already there, it's likely to be so busy that the doorways and aisles are full of passengers...a fold-away bike might work but where I live is hilly and I would struggle without plenty of gears.

The worst bit about this is that the cycle home is worse than the cycle in. It's busier, it's dark for a chunk of the year, and it's pretty much all uphill (425 ft uphill; 100 ft downhill) which obviously means it takes longer - at least 10 mins more.

On time: Just about!

Experience: It feels really horrible to take up precious space on an over-crowded train and it's even worse if you actually can't get on it - especially if it's late and you've been waiting a while as has happened a couple of times.

Cost: £7.00 per day or £1000+ for a 12 month season ticket plus bike stuff.

Rating: 3/10.

Conclusion.

While my working pattern stays like it is (which will be for the foreseeable future), I think I need to cycle as much as I can. I'll get fitter and it will get easier. Now I'm off to see whether I can get a partial refund for my railcard...

*Late last year I had scary experience. Just a few minutes from home, I found myself in the middle at the front of a queue of traffic (I was trying to turn right: the two cars immediately behind me weren't indicating when I passed them and straight on was not an option!) onto a main road from a one-way side street. A tough guy (over 6' and built like a Russian wrestler) a couple of cars behind got out, stormed up to me telling me he was going to "kick my f*****g head in", grabbed my bike and threatened me some more. I told him to calm down and he went back to his car. I think if he hadn't been blocking the traffic he might have taken it further. If I didn't have a wife and child waiting for me at home I might have stood up to him (and taken a beating). Since then I've looked out for tough-guy cars (white Audis, anything lowered, blacked out windows, you know the sort) and given them way more space than I should have to.