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[Travel] HS2 to be scrapped?
- Thread starter Leekbrookgull
- Start date
BrightonCottager
Well-known member
Fascinating programme, thanks for the heads up.
The Infrastructure and Projects Authority is about to be merged with.the National Infrastructure Commission, with an unknown remit.
Weststander
Well-known member
As a starter.
I’d love to see something like a Hull - Leeds - Manchester - Liverpool line asap, as in vastly improved, faster. Won’t be cheap eg I gather Manchester would need a different underground station arrangement as Victoria and Piccadilly currently don’t align with that. But the cost would be trifling relative to the out of control full HS2.
Would negate the need for countless car journeys and be a boon to the regions.
I know Burnham gets a lot right, but his anger and fanaticism over capacity/some saved time to and from London, at god knows what cost (£200b?), came across as unable to see the full picture.
Due to the Victorians and being the first to industrialise, I suspect we’ll have to improve rather than start again.
AmexRuislip
Retired Spy 🕵️♂️
Cheers for the heads up, just finished watching.
Makes you wonder what planet these guys come from, when lying about initial estimated costs, only to fudge the truth!
Curious Orange
Punxsatawney Phil
Do we need to go through how moving express services to a dedicated line significantly increases network capacity again?
Weststander
Well-known member
But the cost of “increasing capacity” on one part of one line got completely out of control. Astonishing £b numbers, growing exponentially. In the end, once party politics died down, there were few complainers that it got scrapped.
The mess they've made of Euston for what? Absolutely f**ing nothing except eventually
to sell to property developers to turn into another unaffordable, "property investment", ghost
town. I sometimes wonder if the tory "fingers in property companies pies" planned it all along.
to sell to property developers to turn into another unaffordable, "property investment", ghost
town. I sometimes wonder if the tory "fingers in property companies pies" planned it all along.
The only way this would make any sense now would be if HS2 connected with HS1 and the Channel Tunnel - through trains to and from Europe from Birmingham would make sense - and they could continue on existing tracks to Manchester/Liverpool and Leeds/Newcastle.
Nah - they won't do it. Too sensible, they'll spend the money on new roads anyway.
Nah - they won't do it. Too sensible, they'll spend the money on new roads anyway.
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 36,013
well that was the plan, got dropped due to complaints, objections and even higher original cost. therein lies the problems, every step of the way people said cant do that like that, protestors, planning objections, put stretches underground to appease some locals, cant put a line into central London (though they could). no one happy, not enough strength of leadership to tell people to stfu and accept a major infrastucture improvement. like they did building out the original rail network. left with a half baked dogs dinner of compromises.
still that bridge through Colne Valley looks amazing bit of engineering, so thats good.
RandyWanger
Je suis rôti de boeuf
Wasn't this the original plan?
I dig the bridge even if the costs and wider project are a complete nonsense.
AmexRuislip
Retired Spy 🕵️♂️
Have just returned from the tip and on rhe way back home I got another glimpse of that red framed that has been made.
It looks like it's made from dexion, old men's meccano
Well, if it was, it was better than the one they've got now (if indeed they've got one at all!)
RandyWanger
Je suis rôti de boeuf
1987 advert for the project. Shame we dropped the ball on it
Attachments
Yeh, hands up! I missed that (or forgot it!)
Withdean South Stand
Well-known member
- Mar 2, 2014
- 646
This country really needs to invest in its infrastructure. You see the evidence that it is on the roads (anyone driving from Sussex to Newcastle will see plenty of it) but the rail network is absolutely crucial and the time to invest was 10 years ago. Don't be sat here in another 10 years moaning that the investment was never made and we've made absolutely no progress on mass transport in this country.
kevo
Well-known member
- Mar 8, 2008
- 9,800
And it was to run up to Scotland, I believe? (off the map).
I once had a flight cancelled and, as it was the last flight of the day, we were put up at this incredible luxury hotel called 'Eurocentral'. It was in the unlikeliest of locations - half-way between Edinburgh and Glasgow, in the middle of the depressing central Scotland belt. Pretty sure it was where they planned to build the Scottish Eurotunnel terminal - the hotel was built in anticipation, but was already by then a white elephant.
Weststander
Well-known member
Key Labour and Tory figures such as Lord Adonis and Boris were passionately pro the concept of HS1 and HS2. It wasn’t corruption.
But from the start the cost was a fantasy..
Curious Orange
Punxsatawney Phil
The cost would soon be forgotten once it was up and running and being a benefit.
Hotchilidog
Well-known member
- Jan 24, 2009
- 9,120
Build it, and they will come. For an island of our size, HS Rail would have huge benefits for us. When the French can make Paris - Marseilles a via day trip (I know I've done it) we should sure be able to connect cities that are far closer. Getting the Eurostar from Brussels to STP and getting back quicker than the STP-BTN leg is just ridiculous.
We need an ambitious approach to infrastructure that is rooted in its value to passengers (and the subsequent economic benefits that come with moving goods and people quickly) rather than shareholders. We are too short sighted.