Final Report
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Fall 08 Final Report High Speed West – HST Group 3 Email: [email protected] Web: mddp.matrixprojects.net High Speed West Final Report HST-Group 3 (MDDP 2010 – 2011) Executive Summary High Speed West (HSW) is a proposal for a new high speed rail line from London to the southwest of England and Wales. The line reduces current rail journey times between London, Southampton, Bristol, Cardiff, and Plymouth to at least 60% of the current duration. HSW is a wheel on rail system on which a Western Star train service runs. The train sets of Western Star are Siemens Velaro trains, which are made up of 8 cars and have a service capacity of approximately 600 people. Western Star trains will travel at a top service speed of 320 kph. In addition to the cities mentioned above, Western Star trains will also call at Exeter because the route travels through the city and there is sufficient demand to satisfy the creation of another station. The opening of the London to Bristol phase is scheduled for 2023, with Bristol to Plymouth and Bristol to Cardiff opening in 2033 and 2040 respectively. The route of HSW is 450 km long; 31 % of which is in tunnels and 4 % over bridges. With the exception of London, new stations are proposed to be built in each city. Southampton, Bristol and Exeter stations will be box stations while Cardiff Station consists of four bored tunnels, each with an internal diameter of 7.25 m. Platforms in the new stations will be below ground level, apart from the platforms at Plymouth Station which are at ground level. Each station on the line will have at least four platforms, which are 400 metres in length that can accommodate two trains coupled together. The proposed Western Star depot is situated northeast of Bristol, 9 km from the proposed Bristol Station. The London terminus will utilise the five redundant Waterloo International platforms, previously occupied by Eurostar International prior to the opening of St Pancras International Station in 2007. From the projected demand, the most popular routes are between Bristol and London and Bristol and Cardiff, with the morning-peak between 7-10 am being the crucial logistical time. In order to handle the demand during this peak period, a minimum of nine trains will be needed with a further two needed to cope with train maintenance and a possible emergency situation. Western Star trains require a 25 kV AC supply. A new power system will be constructed, with 4,650 substations located every 60 km alongside the track. Using a dual 25 kV AC over-head line system, more power can be transferred to the train, giving HSW provision for future train systems. Executive Summary 2 High Speed West Final Report HST-Group 3 (MDDP 2010 – 2011) Through the use of rail dampeners, track ballast beds, and trackside noise barriers, rail noise generated from Western Star trains can be absorbed and kept to a minimum. Furthermore, through the use of natural earth noise bunds, the HSW line can also be hidden, reducing the visual impact. By creating additional and compensatory grasslands and woodlands, wildlife and plant life can be relocated. While HSW is predicted to increase CO2 emissions by 59,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year during its design life, it is envisaged that HSW will be part of a wider UK high speed network, eventually reducing CO2 emissions through a reduction in air travel. Projected demand has been modelled using existing survey data and Tempro software, resulting in a estimate of 6.8 million passenger trips per year .With ticket fares fixed at £40 for a single and £70 for a return, income generated from ticket sales is estimated to be £2.4 bn in 2040, when the full HSW line is opened. With the additional construction and operating cost and the income generated through advertising, HSW, without funding through loans or government grants, is estimated to cost £15 bn at the completion year, returning its first profit of £12 m in 2089. Executive Summary 3 High Speed West Final Report HST-Group 3 (MDDP 2010 – 2011) Table of Contents Executive Summary ..................................................................................................... 2 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 15 2. Background ........................................................................................................ 16 2.1. Current Route ........................................................................................................................................... 16 2.2. Current Systems....................................................................................................................................... 18 2.2.1. Britain’s Railways .................................................................................................................................. 18 2.2.2. High Speed 1 ............................................................................................................................................. 18 2.2.3. European High Speed Rail ................................................................................................................. 19 2.2.4. Rest of the world ..................................................................................................................................... 19 3. Project Proposal ................................................................................................. 20 3.1. HSW .............................................................................................................................................................. 20 3.2. Economic Benefit ..................................................................................................................................... 21 3.3. Alternatives to HSW ............................................................................................................................... 23 4. Demand ............................................................................................................. 25 4.1. Current Demand ...................................................................................................................................... 25 4.1.1. Data Source ............................................................................................................................................... 25 4.1.2. The Data ..................................................................................................................................................... 27 4.1.3. Data Processing ...................................................................................................................................... 27 4.1.4. Results ......................................................................................................................................................... 29 4.1.5. Journey Model .......................................................................................................................................... 32 4.2. Projected Demand ................................................................................................................................... 35 5. Route ................................................................................................................. 44 5.1. Route Selection ......................................................................................................................................... 44 5.2. Phased Construction .............................................................................................................................. 45 5.3. London to Southampton ....................................................................................................................... 46 5.4. Southampton to Bristol ......................................................................................................................... 49 5.5. Bristol to Cardiff ...................................................................................................................................... 51 5.6. Bristol to Exeter ....................................................................................................................................... 53 5.7. Exeter to Plymouth ................................................................................................................................. 55 Contents 4 High Speed West Final Report HST-Group 3 (MDDP 2010 – 2011) 6. Infrastructure ..................................................................................................... 57 6.1. Track Profile .............................................................................................................................................. 57 6.1.1. Track Maintenance ............................................................................................................................... 58 6.2. Tunnels ........................................................................................................................................................ 60 6.2.1. Bored Tunnels .......................................................................................................................................... 60 6.2.2. Immersed Tunnel ................................................................................................................................... 64 6.3. Bridges ........................................................................................................................................................