Canal v rail again?

Saturday, 13 March 2010 19:08

New high speed rail line

Yesterday, the government announced the detail of their preferred route of the new high speed train link between London and Birmingham. BBC's News covered the announcement.

The BBC News Channel has an article about the route - clickety click

Unfortunately we missed the appropriate broadcast. Why unfortunately? Because I gather the line will come into Birmingham International station and then there will be a link to the new city centre Birmingham station on the current Eastside Development. This may very well impact on the Digbeth Branch of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal on the BCN.

The Digbeth Branch is already crossed by the existing rail lines - at Curzon Street. We went under them in Curzon Street Tunnel not so long ago.

Rail Bridge and Curzon Tunnel

The new line will be to the North of the existing lines and so it looks as if it may even go over the Ashted Lock Flight. Sadly too, some home owners in Birmingham and along the route may also lose their homes. The government is apparently to set up a compensation scheme for affected home owners.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper uses this potential loss as their headline - clickety click.

Looking up the locks from the Bottom Lock

Will the view above change once again? The earliest start of the building of this line will be 2017, so narrowboaters do have time to explore the Digbeth Branch before then!