[News] Crossrail Delay: Line will not open until 2021 as costs increase

[Tim Over Whelmed]

The rail network, reliability, information and rolling stock now compared with the late 70's and eighties .... you don't know you're born!

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

There are already two lines between Birmingham and London, but still a shortage of capacity at peak times.

The shortest journey time between New Street and Euston is currently 80 minutes. It is claimed that HS2 will reduce the fastest journey time to 50 minutes, which to my mind would be significant.

I was initially very anti HS2, down to the high cost and the environmental impact, but have been persuaded that the benefits of increased capacity and reduced journey times will ultimately prove worthwhile.

Ah, yes, but you're relying on facts, information and considering the national infrastructure need ... on here we don't use such things and only look at it from our own individual perspective.

 

[jaghebby]

I would totally agree with this.

I live in Yorkshire. We have fast trains to London. What we don't have is a decent train service to Manchester. In fact, the 'Pacer' trains that go through my local station were designed to be in service no later than 2000. They will still be going well into 2020.

The lack of spending on infrastructure in the north is hugely frustrating.

To my mind its not an either or they question they clearly should do both! Lets not forget we seem to be quite happy to spend a fortune on prestige/vanity projects like the Aircraft Carriers for the Royal Navy and a huge amount on replacing our Vanguard Class Submarines. At least H2S will benefit many more ordinary people than these projects.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

There are already two lines between Birmingham and London, but still a shortage of capacity at peak times.

The shortest journey time between New Street and Euston is currently 80 minutes. It is claimed that HS2 will reduce the fastest journey time to 50 minutes, which to my mind would be significant.

I was initially very anti HS2, down to the high cost and the environmental impact, but have been persuaded that the benefits of increased capacity and reduced journey times will ultimately prove worthwhile.

Upgrading the Steam trains and Infrastructure on the Chiltern line for a fraction of the cost is the answer.

The quickest train to London from Coventry is 57 minutes (and one where I could have a seat and work if I needed to). It sometimes took me 45 minutes to get from Euston to Victoria at rush hour. I know which part of that journey i'd like to speed up.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

At least H2S will benefit many more ordinary people than these projects.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

What worries me is if they do go ahead with HS2 and the bill is currently around £30 billion I think, when this runs over time and budget, will we be looking closer to £100 billion?

 

[Stat Brother]

Capital projects as complex as this, always go over budget, they always have done. Party politicising this is bizarre.

T'was just a glib 'comedic' aside.




That said though £3bn is a huge chunk of change with no guarantee that's the final overspend.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Capital projects as complex as this, always go over budget, they always have done. Party politicising this is bizarre.

This. Always seems like a cheap shot by cheap people. Many of the Victorian entrepreneurs who invested heavily in the London Underground went bust. The guys in charge of completing construction of the Channel Tunnel got monstrous amounts of grief due to overruns. But as always, when these things reach completion they massively improve the national infrastructure and more than pay for themselves in generating huge amounts of new and improved commercial and personal opportunities. Same as it ever was.

 

[jaghebby]

So you reckon H2S will be a white elephant bit like some numpties said about the Amex!

 

[GOM]

What use is a 2nd line if they decrease the amount of trains on the West Coast mainline and you don't live anywhere near the new train station (because an airport and existing train station isn't enough) at Birmingham International which is the last stop before London on the new line? The final bill for these wonderful improvements is upwards of 80bn and counting.

Aha, I understand your objections now. It won't directly benefit you. What's the opposite of a NIMBY ? perhaps a PIMBY (please in my back yard)

 

[East Staffs Gull]

HS2 will directly benefit those who are able to afford it, as I’m sure that it will be a premium service. I’d like to think that HS2 will relieve pressure on the other routes and that these will continue to operate. This will be of particular benefit to those people looking for a lower cost option and/or people who use the intermediate stations on the existing lines. I am however concerned that these routes will be seen as unwanted competition for HS2 and will become run down.

 

[BNthree]

With HS2 I really wished they'd taken the opportunity to build cycle lanes on the land alongside it wherever possible. Would be a huge boost to the cycle network which benefit all road users by having dedicated bike lanes away from traffic + pedestrians. Cost would be minuscule in relation to total.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Aha, I understand your objections now. It won't directly benefit you. What's the opposite of a NIMBY ? perhaps a PIMBY (please in my back yard)

Not just me but anyone that lives between London and Birmingham as the line is useless to anyone in that catchment area. It will also reduce capacity on the existing mainline making things worse. Personally, I'd rather we blew £80bn on Projects that have a wider benefit. Strings has highlighted the rolling stock in the north which should have been obsolete years ago. The Chiltern line is in need of an upgrade. I don't know how people use the London to Brighton line and remain sane at rush hour. All of those things could be done at a fraction of the cost and time. HS2 is a vanity Project.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

So you reckon H2S will be a white elephant bit like some numpties said about the Amex!

Hopefully HS2 will prove to be more useful than HS1 which - after an impressive superfast start from St Pancras to Stratford and Ebbsfleet - then trundles pathetically slowly through North Kent for much of its working day.

 

[GOM]

Not just me but anyone that lives between London and Birmingham as the line is useless to anyone in that catchment area. It will also reduce capacity on the existing mainline making things worse. Personally, I'd rather we blew £80bn on Projects that have a wider benefit. Strings has highlighted the rolling stock in the north which should have been obsolete years ago. The Chiltern line is in need of an upgrade. I don't know how people use the London to Brighton line and remain sane at rush hour. All of those things could be done at a fraction of the cost and time. HS2 is a vanity Project.

Again you have not explained why it would reduce capacity and instead want to promote more expenditure in the south east instead. The rolling stock in the north is being replaced, both Transpennine Express and Northern have new rolling stock already and more coming.
See the new Nova1 Nova 2 and Nova 3 trains here https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travelling-with-us/the-nova-fleets/nova-3

HS2 is to connect London with Birmingham, and then onto Leeds and Manchester. The existing lines can serve the smaller intermediate locations with less crowding as some has moved off onto the HS2 line(s).

 

[Brovion]

What worries me is if they do go ahead with HS2 and the bill is currently around £30 billion I think, when this runs over time and budget, will we be looking closer to £100 billion?

If the budget overrun is the same as Crossrail (about 15%) then no, it'll come in at £34.5 billion. Even if it doubles it'll be nowhere near your scaremonger figure.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

If the budget overrun is the same as Crossrail (about 15%) then no, it'll come in at £34.5 billion. Even if it doubles it'll be nowhere near your scaremonger figure.

It was a question*, simple one at that, no scaremongering.

* see (?) at the end for verification.

 

[Brovion]

It was a question*, simple one at that, no scaremongering.

* see (?) at the end for verification.

Ok, well simple answer then.


No.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Ok, well simple answer then.


No.

And you are? The construction expert on this project?

 

[Madafwo]

I'm not surprised, the Thameslink Project that still technically isn't finished was initially called Thameslink 2000. 19 years and counting.