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Sceptical though I am that even the extended timescales and ever-inflating costs won't both be over-run, I think we've painted ourselves into this particular corner through decades of under-investment and - probably more importantly - lack of a strategic vision for anything outside of the M25. On that basis it probably has to go ahead; both phases.
It still feels piecemeal to me, albeit a substantial piece; but it's probably either this or more decades of muddling through. I can't shake the concern that it will somehow end up as much more of a conduit into London than it ever is in the other direction.
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A bit more detail regarding increased capacity. The plan for the Euston-Curzon Street route is to have 9 trains run each hour both ways on that route while having 2 express trains per hour both ways on the Euston-New Street route. The two express trains on the West Coast Mainline are expected to run all the way through to Wolverhampton and are expected to stop at the principle stations between Rugby and Wolverhampton. In addition, there will be more services on the West Coast Mainline between Coventry and Rugeley/Liverpool that are able to run at more stations, so more services at the intermediate stations into and out of New Street and more potential for intermediate stations to open (hence the WM train upgrades in Andy Street's plan). This will be replicated on the Euston side with more stopping services into Euston and more express services from Watford Junction to Euston. In addition to this, there will be more capacity for freight to run through Coventry heading towards Southampton. This is essentially because the route from Rugby-New Street is one of the most congested in the rail network.
Having fewer trains shuttling between New Street and Euston also frees up platforms at New Street so more services can run through it as well.
