tonge to trowell - High Speed Two (HS2) Limited

TONGE TO TROWELL
In your area
High Speed Two (HS2) is the planned new high
speed rail network, connecting London with the
West Midlands and running lines to Manchester and
Leeds. This factsheet, produced to accompany the
consultation on the route from the West Midlands
to Manchester, Leeds and beyond, explains how the
proposed route will affect your area, including:
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the proposed HS2 route between Tonge and Trowell;
the implications for people living between
Tonge and Trowell; and
how we would manage construction.
The proposed route
The route would leave the A42 corridor at Breedon on
the Hill and pass under East Midlands Airport in a
tunnel. Soon after leaving the tunnel, the route would
pass over the M1, north of Junction 24 near Lockington,
and cross the floodplain of the River Soar on a two-mile
viaduct (3.4km). There would be a short cut and cover
tunnel through Red Hill, north of Ratcliffe-on-Soar
power station, before the route crosses the River Trent
and its floodplain on another viaduct of just over one
mile (1.7km) in length. The north end of this viaduct
would cross Trent Junction which connects the rail
routes from Derby, Leicester and Nottingham. From
here, the route would pass through Long Eaton,
towards the East Midlands Hub Station at Toton.
July 2013
Following discussions and a full review by HS2 Ltd, the
tunnel has been extended to approximately 1.9 miles
(3km) to reduce the direct impacts.
What happens below ground?
The twin tunnel would be located between 22m and
36m below ground level. The twin tunnels would be
linked by cross-passages approximately 500m apart,
which would enable evacuation from one tunnel to the
other in the remote event of an emergency.
What would I notice above ground?
The only aspects of the tunnel that would be visible
above ground would be the portals and ventilation
shaft. We would design and construct the tunnel to
avoid perceptible effects above as far as reasonably
practicable. Our engineering design would build on the
application of proven technologies implemented
successfully in similar tunnels, on High Speed One (HS1)
and now under construction for Crossrail. Experience
gained from HS1 in Kent and other international high
speed railways has shown that potential effects from
vibration and ground-borne noise (audible vibration) in
properties over tunnels can be largely avoided.
Tunnel under East Midlands Airport
HS2 Ltd is committed to ensuring that properties above
tunnels are not impacted. Where relevant, properties
above tunnels would be independently surveyed before
and after construction to reassure residents and ensure
that in the very rare instance of any effects on property,
these could be rectified by HS2 Ltd.
The initial preferred route announced by Government at
the end of January 2013 included a tunnel under East
Midlands Airport, with a portal just north of the airport.
This option diagonally crossed the site of the proposed
East Midlands Gateway Strategic Rail Freight
Interchange adjacent to the airport. Recognising the
importance of this proposal, the Government and HS2
Ltd met concerned parties following the announcement
to consider whether viable options were available to
minimise potential impacts on the East Midlands
Gateway scheme.
Ventilation shafts
Longer tunnels require shafts for ventilation,
maintenance, pressure relief and emergency
intervention. Typically, the shafts will be located
every 2km-3km depending on total tunnel length,
train operating speed and landtake at the surface.
The ventilation shafts provide emergency access in
the event of an incident, and can remove smoke
from the tunnels if an incident occurs below ground.
Ventilation fans would need to be activated to remove
the smoke and noise may be noticeable at the time of
an emergency or during the maintenance and testing of
the equipment. However, in normal circumstances
there would be no noise from the ventilation shafts.
The shafts also relieve air pressure and therefore
maintain passenger comfort.
One ventilation shaft would be required for the tunnel
under East Midlands Airport, and the indicative location
for this is immediately north of the airport boundary.
Implications for people living
between Tonge and Trowell
Opportunities
It is estimated that the East Midlands Hub station could
support between 1,500 and 1,600 jobs and 150 and 800
homes. People living along this section of the route
could access HS2 services through the East Midlands
Hub station, benefiting from faster, more frequent
services to London, South Yorkshire, Leeds and
Manchester. The site has good access to the M1 and
could be served by local rail services to Nottingham,
Derby, Leicester and other principal stations in the
region, as well as by bus services and an extension of
the Nottingham Express tram.
Journey times
From new East Midlands Hub station at Toton
Destination
Current time (mins) HS2 time (mins)
London
n/a
51
Heathrow*
n/a
66
Birmingham
n/a
19
Sheffield Midland
n/a
27
Leeds
n/a
30
York
n/a
37
Newcastle
n/a
107
* Journeys to Heathrow Airport based on Heathrow Express/Crossrail from HS2 station at
Old Oak Common.
Landscape and townscape
After emerging from the tunnel beneath East Midlands
Airport, the route rises on to viaduct which would be
prominent in the Trent and Soar Valleys. Between
these two valleys the proposed route passes through
Red Hill and then the wooded landscape of Thrumpton
Conservation Area. Continuing north of Long Eaton the
proposed route would pass through built-up areas of
Nottingham. Embankment here would be prominent
within the open flood meadows around Stanton Gate.
Later designs would seek to reduce potential impacts
by introducing landscaping, including earthworks and
planting of trees, hedgerows and shrubs.
Wildlife and habitats
West of Ratcliffe-on-Soar, the proposed route passes
near Lockington Marshes Site of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSI). At Trowell, the proposed route would
cross Nottingham Canal Local Nature Reserve. With
detailed design and careful construction, we expect
to be able to mitigate any effects.
Water
The proposed route would cross a number of rivers and
streams and their floodplains. Floodplains over 100m in
length crossed in this section of the route include the River
Soar, River Trent and the River Erewash. Any impacts would
be kept to a practicable minimum and we would work closely
with the Environment Agency and other stakeholders in
order to determine how best to do this. Crossings would be
designed to minimise the effect on watercourses, their
wildlife and associated wetland habitats. The design would
also be engineered to take account of future flood risk.
Heritage
This section of the proposed route would directly affect a
Scheduled Roman site just north-west of Ratcliffe-on-Soar.
The proposed route would be on viaduct at this point and
impacts would be in relation to below ground remains.
The final design of the viaduct (including location of
viaduct piers) would need to be sensitive to the findings
of any future archaeological survey. We would work
closely with English Heritage to identify how we could
minimise impacts at this location.
Transport networks and access
Several roads are likely to require permanent or
temporary re-alignment such as the A453, A50, Ratcliffe
Lane, Trent Lane, Main Street, Station Road, A6005,
Derby Road, Stanton Gate and additional minor roads.
We are already working with the Highways Agency and,
in due course, we will work with local authorities in order
to minimise any traffic disruption which might arise.
Effects on cycle routes and footpaths would be addressed
as more detailed planning is done. Routes would be
reinstated or alternatives provided wherever possible.
Property and land
The East Midlands Hub Station would result in an
estimated seven residential demolitions, of which six are
located south-west of Toton. A cluster of an estimated six
dwellings would be demolished at Long Eaton as well as
some commercial properties. The proposed route could
result in the isolation of residential properties at Red Hill.
In order to provide assistance to those people whose
properties may be affected at this early stage of the
scheme, the Government introduced a discretionary
Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS). The EHS is designed
for those who for reasons of exceptional hardship have an
urgent need to sell their property, but have not been able
to, except at a substantially reduced price, as a direct result
of Phase Two. More information about the Phase Two EHS
and how to apply is available on the HS2 website.
The EHS is not the only opportunity affected property
owners will have to sell their properties in the mediumto-long term. Based on the timescales of Phase One,
Visualisation of the line and Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power station | Source: HS2 Ltd
Noise
At this early stage of the design process our initial
airborne noise appraisal has predicted the exposure
of railway noise on groups of dwellings during an
18-hour daytime period1.
Residual noise impacts are predicted to affect residents
of Long Eaton, Stapleford and Sandiacre. The map
included with this factsheet highlights areas likely to
be affected by noise based on this early appraisal.
It also indicates locations at which we would explore
further opportunities to mitigate airborne noise
such as the use of noise barriers and earth mounds.
A factsheet sheet providing further detail on noise
has been produced to accompany the consultation.
Local issues
Our work with regional stakeholders has highlighted
some areas where the route could cause concern for
local people, such as at known development sites, and
we expect that the consultation will highlight other
issues not included here. We will work with local
authorities, communities and stakeholders to develop
the engineering design in a way which minimises
potential impacts, and we will discuss the proposals
for mitigation where possible.
Managing construction
Following Royal Assent to the Phase Two hybrid Bill,
there would be a period to prepare for construction
– for example, for land to be acquired and contracts let.
Construction itself will take approximately nine years
overall, although, in most places, the duration of
construction is likely to be much less. This period of
Noise is conventionally measured using the equivalent continuous sound level
(LAeq) indicator. This level is defined as the constant level of sound that, over a
period of time, has the same total sound energy as the actual varying sound
over the same period.
1
construction will include a period of testing from early
2031, with Phase Two expected to open in 2032/33.
We recognise that people will be concerned about
the impacts of construction on their area. We are
committed to managing these impacts and reducing
disruption to communities, businesses and the
environment in ways that reflect the best practice
used by the construction industry. We will work closely
with local authorities and communities to draw up a
comprehensive and detailed package of measures to
address the local effects of construction, such as the
Code of Construction Practice being introduced for
Phase One.
Where to get further information
The consultation document High Speed Rail:
Investing in Britain’s future – Consultation on the route
from the West Midlands to Leeds, Manchester and
beyond, which sets out our proposals in detail, can be
downloaded from our website: www.hs2.org.uk.
Our Sustainability Statement, which describes
the extent to which the proposed scheme
supports objectives for sustainable development,
is available on the site, along with further supporting
materials. You can also call the HS2 Enquiries line
(020 7944 4908) for more information.
© High Speed Two (HS2) Limited, 2013, except where otherwise stated. Printed in UK, 75% recycled fibre. Product Code: P2C64
it is expected that the Phase Two EHS will run until
the end of 2016. A wider package of longer-term
property compensation schemes would be expected
to replace the EHS at that point, in addition to the
statutory provision.
Noise Impact Key
The map gives an indication of the properties that would experience noise once the proposed
HS2 services are operating, based on our noise modelling, and assuming mitigation in place
Noticeable Noise Increase
Areas which could have a noticeable change in average daytime railway noise levels where the predicted
noise level is more than 50dBLAeq,18hr and there has been a 3dB increase or more.
Noise Insulation (NIRR)
Areas which could have a requirement for noise insulation (based on regulations) where façade noise levels
are more than 68dBLAeq,18hr with a 1dB increase or more.
High HS2 Noise Levels
Within the areas which could qualify for noise insulation we have also identified locations which could be
exposed to “high” average noise levels i.e. greater than or equal to 73dBLAeq,18hr. This is the level taken from
the Environmental Noise Regulations.