Fast track to the future

When it comes to modelling these environmental effects, everything is done twice. “Once, virtually and once in reality.” He explains why: “The design won’t be approved until we’ve proven to ourselves that we can operate and maintain this railway in a simulation. We’ll have a solid understanding of the practicalities before we’ve even put a spade in the ground. 

Design lessons have been learned from the only other high-speed railway in the country, HS1. He says: “Our design principles are the result of studying HS1, because learning from the past is vital. HS2 is not about a railway that will plough through the countryside regardless, it’s about blending the railway into the landscape, without spoiling it. 

“We want to improve every part of the country HS2 passes through and that’s quite a tough goal. We have to traverse some incredibly sensitive environments, where we can’t just go in mob-handed with concrete and steel. We have an independent design panel, some members of which are appointed by the Secretary of State, who will hold us to a very high standard throughout. This railway is going to be here for at least 200 years and we have to get it right.” 

He says that new techniques are being used to plan how construction will be completed in difficult locations. This will help HS2 plan the best working practices then justify how and why the work was done.

“The project also features a significant amount of environmental habitat replacement, or improvement. We’re working with Birmingham at the moment on a new green corridor into the centre of Birmingham through re-generated land. HS2 has a broad remit - it’s not just about a new train service, it’s about leaving a legacy for the country.”

McNaughton makes the point, however, that HS2 has one huge advantage: it’s a blank canvas, free from the inevitable constrictions and compromises of using existing track. 

He talks of different methods not currently used on the main line. McNaughton mentions Automatic Train Operation (ATO), “but with a fully skilled driver at the front of it.” McNaughton says that while ATO is one option, re-organising how the railway works is another. He is anxious to break down barriers to efficiency. HS2 doesn’t want that. “We don’t want a divide between operations and maintenance. They are often at loggerheads, and I’ve spent most of my life dealing with it.”

He speaks of an organisational map, in which all the parts are joined and where there are no no barriers to “the most valuable asset we’ve got at the moment - information.”

And the virtual model of the railway, which is also proving invaluable already, he says, will be just as useful in the future: “The same virtual model that we use in Parliament to demonstrate the effects of constructing HS2, is the foundation of the system that, in 20 years’ time, people will be using to operate and maintain passenger services on HS2.”

Ultimately, HS2 is about passengers. McNaughton says that without them the railway won’t be a success. “For all the big words about bringing the country together, providing transport systems for the future and so on, HS2 will only work if people want to use it.”

HS2 Ltd, he says, is taking a global view of what passengers really value from a transport system. He says: “Throw away your conceptions of what the railway is today or any other transport system, how would you like it to be? We’ve also been studying people’s expectations through Transport Focus, a panel of independent people who travel a lot. Some of them are rail users, some aren’t, but they are travellers of some kind. They have been helping us design this.” 

A key element, he says, is about how HS2 will transport massive numbers of people between major cities. The key is to give them control of their whole journey. He says that passenger survey feedback revealed that passengers don’t just want to choose their ticket, train and seat. They want a choice of environment - for example a quiet and peaceful section, or in a place where they can travel with their families.  Selecting those travel options must also be
easy and intuitive.”

He discusses expanding the role of staff. Working on the train will not just be about carrying out specific tasks, it will be about helping people. McNaughton explains: “By working with the company which organised
the staff for the Olympics, we’ve learned a lot about how staff can improve customer experience.” He talks of access. “We want level access, not just because it’s available to all under some EU regulation. Everything we make easier for people who need extra assistance makes it easier for every passenger. We want people to travel on this railway not because they have to, but because they want to.”

A cornerstone of HS2 must be reliability. As McNaughton says, “everything we are engineering into this railway or building into the operational model is built with durability in mind. “It will be dependable. All the people involved in designing this railway are focusing on reliability. 

“If your company makes a product that could make HS2 better, we’re interested. But don’t call us until you can prove it won’t let people down.” 

• This feature was published in the HS2 supplement of RAIL 789 (December 9 2015)