Canal bridges too low

THE £32 billion high speed railway line from London to Birmingham, recently approved, had two canal crossings that are too low for boats to pass underneath.

Plans for the line include passing over the Trent & Mersey Canal in two places at Woodend Lock above Fradley Junction, but it was discovered the proposed bridges were too low, so plans will have to be revised if the waterway is to remain open, Alan Tilbury reveals.

Approval for the new line, that will see 225mph trains was given by the government on Monday, though there are numerous objections from those living near the proposed route.

Alternative

Regular readers will be aware that boater Terry Fogarty had put forward his own plans as an alternative to the high speed rail link from Birmingham to London, using the waterways, stating his idea was to replace the locks with his own design of a tube, that would speed progress at a fraction of the cost.

It will take the new train 45 minutes from Birmingham to London.  It would take a boat days, and it would not even be able to get there as Tring summit is closed for the foreseeable future.