HS2

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Does the Cardiff to Edinburgh route have any crossover with the London to Birmingham route?

There isn't a Cardiff to Edinburgh route, just different ways to get between the two.

As things stand, travel to the north is often cheaper going through Manchester as advance train prices are cheaper between here and Manchester than between here and Birmingham.

[Canton Kev]

There isn't a Cardiff to Edinburgh route, just different ways to get between the two.

As things stand, travel to the north is often cheaper going through Manchester as advance train prices are cheaper between here and Manchester than between here and Birmingham.

I understand there’s no direct route but it doesn’t go via Birmingham or London. That’s where my confusion comes from.
HS2 increasing capacity will only help trains between the midlands and London surely? So spunking £140B on HS2 won’t change anything about getting a Cardiff to Edinburgh train. Unless I’m misunderstanding the situation?

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I understand there’s no direct route but it doesn’t go via Birmingham or London. That’s where my confusion comes from.
HS2 increasing capacity will only help trains between the midlands and London surely? So spunking £140B on HS2 won’t change anything about getting a Cardiff to Edinburgh train. Unless I’m misunderstanding the situation?

There are several ways of getting to Edinburgh from Cardiff. Changing at Crewe or Manchester is the best option for cheaper advance fares. Birmingham is an option, going to London would be pointless.

HS2 would have little impact on getting to Edinburgh from Cardiff. It might help North Wales travellers get to London slightly more quickly but it'll have virtually no impact on South Wales at all.