HS2 Blackwell Parish

HS2 Phase 2b West Midlands to Leeds route engineering report 2016

Page 69

HSL15A: Pinxton (E) to Clay Cross (L)

3.15.1 The route section between Pinxton and Clay Cross would be 5.8 miles (9.4km) long. This section of the route starts at a junction with HSL13 and provides a link to allow high speed services to access the existing Midland Main Line rail route into Sheffield city centre near Clay Cross.

3.15.2 Most of this route section would be at a design speed of 200km/h, reducing to 160km/h and then 145km/h as it joins the existing railway corridor running towards Sheffield.

3.15.3 The junction with HSL13 would start in the vicinity of Brookhill Lane (1), which is to be lowered to allow HS2 to pass above it. The northbound spur would run initially at a similar level to the HS2 main line, passing in cutting to the immediate east of a large retail unit, before passing below the A38 (2) at a depth of approximately 16m. The southbound connection from Sheffield would instead start to reduce in level relative to the HS2 main line, crossing underneath the A38 at a depth of approximately 20m and then crossing underneath the main line to join the northbound track. Both northbound and southbound tracks cross over Normanton Brook on separate 60m viaducts, then run on an embankment maximum 14m high transitioning to cutting north of the B6406. The B6406 (3) would be raised and realigned to pass over the spur.

3.15.4 The route would continue in cutting at a depth of up to 7m, before passing under the M1, B6026 Huthwaite Lane and B6026 Cragg Lane (4). Passing to the southeast of Newton, the route would cross under Alfreton Road in a cut-and-cover tunnel. As the ground falls, the railway would emerge from cutting to cross over two tributaries of Morton Brook before passing into cutting. The B6025 would cross over the route on a new bridge.

 3.15.5 Immediately east of Stonebroom the route would join the corridor of the existing Erewash Valley railway (5), crossing over B6014 Station Road and Pilsley Road. The existing railway corridor used to accommodate four rail tracks and currently accommodates two main lines with a third loop track. The HS2 route would run parallel to and immediately east of the existing two main lines, resulting in the removal of the existing third track. HS2 would join the existing railway tracks on the approach to Danesmoor, once the tracks are on a straight alignment.

3.15.6 The HS2 trains would then continue on the existing railway into Sheffield city centre via Chesterfield.