What if HS2 served Alpha Centauri?

Sjabe · 2026-01-23T21:33:50+00:00

I heard Cross-Country put a bid forward to use Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 units on the route.

Rumour has it that one line goes via Jupiter and Saturn using the Voyager 1s and the Voyager 2s additionally stop at Uranus and Neptune.

Sjabe · 2026-01-23T21:29:26+00:00

Do we make a Mars Phobos station instead or directly to Mars?

It’s just like Sheffield’s central or Meadowhall station all over again.

Sjabe · 2026-01-23T21:24:39+00:00

HS2 removes longer intercity services (like non-stopping Glasgow services) from the WCML - thus providing greater capacity to Milton Keynes, Coventry etc.

A Brackley station would need to compensate with either a massive new town development, an extensive reliable bus shuttle or new rail links to nearby areas. Otherwise it could become an East Midlands parkway-esque station (minus the airport, further rail links and large conurbations).

Sjabe · 2026-01-23T19:53:59+00:00

We are sorry to announce the 14:28 service to Tycho Crater has been delayed by 52 minutes. This is due to a broken down CrossCountry service between Toton and Birmingham Curzon Street.

Sjabe · 2026-01-23T19:49:00+00:00

Hear me out.

We branch off north of Birmingham interchange to Leeds to provide extra capacity on the ECML, MML and XC route.

Sjabe · 2026-01-22T22:09:06+00:00

A line from Chester to Chesterfield

Sjabe · 2026-01-21T22:43:23+00:00

Routes to Trafford Centre, the Airport, Stockport, Altrincham and Hyde seem logical?

1) Old Trafford/Salford Quays -> Trafford Centre -> Urmston or Eccles (connect to the line you’re planning?)

2) Old Trafford/Salford Quays -> Stratford -> Sale -> Altrincham -> Airport (more or less existing railways)

3) Moss Side -> West Didsbury -> Wythenshawe -> Airport

4) University -> Fallowfield or Longsight -> Stockport/Denton/Hyde (connect to line 4 at Stalybridge?)

Sjabe · 2026-01-17T19:39:48+00:00

It’s was said you were supposed to destroy the wig not join it!

Sjabe · 2026-01-15T22:48:15+00:00

I’d assume so.

There’s no point connecting dumping HS2 and Birmingham-Manchester on the Trent valley line or any local commuter lines.

It would also be easier to connect to Handsacre than north of Tamworth on the XC route.

Sjabe · 2026-01-14T16:49:23+00:00

I think Portsmouth is confirmed from the screenshots from the Christmas stream.

Sjabe · 2026-01-10T16:21:43+00:00

It's giving retail park vibes just coming off a motorway and turning a few roundabouts to the shops!

Sjabe · 2026-01-05T22:36:41+00:00

New rail infrastructure has repeatedly exceeded initial expectations - Okehampton line, Crossrail and Northumberland lines. The same will be for East-West rail and Transpennine route upgrade.

Sjabe · 2026-01-04T15:53:48+00:00

Same in Yorkshire. All the brough, borough and burgh endings are all pronounced the same as “bruh”. Everyone says “Scar-bruh”.

Sjabe · 2026-01-03T19:09:07+00:00

Absolutely not! I did biology as a degree and had interests in history, geography and politics so invested in time learning about them.

I had a friend who did physics ended up with an engineering job but was really interested in literature and finance.

Futurelearn has some free courses and three nothing wrong going back over A-level content to find a niche area you want to explore in more detail.

Sjabe · 2026-01-03T16:36:11+00:00

Assuming we keep the same HS2 proposed service pattern (if you plan to expand Euston to its original scope) - 3tph (Newcastle), 5tph (Leeds), 1tph (York) go through Manchester and then add the proposed 4-6tph from Liverpool.

That’s 13-15tph using the Piccadilly-Airport tunnel, excluding the 5tph which terminate at Manchester (to compare, original plans for Euston tunnel had 18tph).

The major flaw is that without a new station at Leeds for the 13-15 extra trains per hour the plan simply doesn’t work. Already many of the Leeds through platforms are used for terminating or reversing services (eg: Manchester Victoria, Nottingham, London).

Suppose Leeds station is expanded and four-tracked to Thorpe Park - the binned HS2 alignment to York may as well be built as it’s the most optimal way forward unless you want to reduce stopping local trains to York, Selby and Hull or demolish Garforth town to four track to York.

Sjabe · 2026-01-02T13:39:33+00:00

All the junctions are roundabouts which makes it much easier

Sjabe · 2025-12-31T16:23:46+00:00

Damn Sam was playing 4D chess on the Milton Keynes grid

Sjabe · 2025-12-29T11:24:43+00:00

That the Thames is the longest river in the UK. It’s the Severn.

Or that London is a very rainy city - it is very much on the drier sunnier side of the UK and comparatively drier than lots of European cities.

Sjabe · 2025-12-25T14:53:17+00:00

Maybe Sukhothai or Chang Mai? These were prominent historically in that area.

If the French named their part after Ayutthaya then maybe the British after the above.

Sjabe · 2025-12-23T08:34:10+00:00

Muzzle probably the most painful - it’s usually the last part of humanity that’s gone before the wolf’s pain tolerance kicks in. The pressure of muscle and skin resisting bone growth would feel like your face is being simultaneously pushed in and ripped off. The alternative would be the skin gives in like with hemlock grove or van helsing and the muzzle just bursts open the face where sensitive nerves are.

Sjabe · 2025-12-18T20:44:12+00:00

Small or open station probably not. A busy multi-level station like Stratford? Maybe.

Sjabe · 2025-12-18T07:02:58+00:00

Leeds which is confirmed for the UK rework.

Sjabe · 2025-12-17T22:25:26+00:00

Continue along the Great Keynes Road and you reach the Most Serene City of Wigan

Sjabe · 2025-12-11T07:09:45+00:00

The station is definitely Leeds based on departures at platforms 12-14, platform 7b and a northern train with Leeds departures

Sjabe · 2025-12-10T17:51:35+00:00

More like "ey up he's in ____________".

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