1606.06 HOME ALONE

Well, not quite alone but all this week it'll be me with my (not so) little girl, Rags. Morticia is off to spend a week at her mother's while life goes on up here at home. This is a regular thing, she goes probably once or twice a year for a little restbite. As always I think it's a good idea right up to the point that she has to get on the train, then it gets emotional. Anyway, I put her on the train and then dashed home (5 minutes away) to track her journey on the National Rail Enquiries website. Surprisingly she got to her destination with little issue (just the booked seat booked not being as requested).

Morticia leaving on the train (this isn't a stock pic,
it's the actual train leaving Meadowhall Station).

People abroad and in the south may be looking at this picture wondering how this train is running without electricity. Well up in the "Northern Powerhouse" our trains are pretty much long buses on train tracks. Luckily this was just the first leg of her trip, the rest of the trip was on more modern electric trains.

So what plans have I for my temporary freedom? Not much really, I'm planning to watch a few movies, grab a Chinese takeaway and generally relax. Naps without nags are in this week!

1602.18 H2 STATION

(Now I want to put it out that I whole heartedly disagree with this project. I feel it's a transport system for the elite, I don't envisage being able to afford to travel on this train. I don't see the point of a new train line when the money could upgrade and revamp existing services (Sheffield to London isn't even electrified). Local public transport system is a shambles and doesn't offer a viable alternative to other transport methods.

I'm talking about this because there has recently been a debate locally regarding the location of the HS2 station in South Yorkshire. The plan is to build it in Meadowhall which is to the east of the city centre where there is already a small station which serves the shopping centre. A lot of people have been pushing for the plan to change and rebuild the old (and long time closed) Victoria Railway Station on the edge of the city centre.

Initially I was on the side of moving the plan to the city centre after all this was supposed to be a city station, why have it on the edge? Then I did some reading and looked at the facts. Victoria Station would mean some major demolition and would the location be difficult for other links (it's a fair distance from Midland Station (Sheffield's main railway station) and the bus station. Also where would they put any car parking? The benefits would be for high end businesses in the city centre only, would that be enough to sustain the project (I'm remember the doomed Sheffield City Airport)?

So why would Meadowhall be better? The plans for the Sheffield City Region (http://sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/about/overview/). If you are looking at a transport system benefitting the whole region then it needs to be somewhere easily accessible from all areas. Where better than an area which is serviced by rail from all the major towns and Sheffield plus bus and tram links. Also the M1 is there as well as potential links to Robin Hood Airport.

So I don't want it but if we have to have it then build it at Meadowhall.