HS2 Over

[pie eater pete]

8 hours ago, Big J said:

What a massively embarrassing episode for British transport history.

 

A few of the major problems:

 

1) the insistence on higher speed (rather than settling for 'just' 300kph) hugely inflated costs. France builds it's HGV network for ten times less than the projected cost of HS2.

 

2) vast sums of money tunnelising the track through the home counties to appease Tory voters. 

 

3) they didn't even ask the chief executive of HS1 to be involved, despite it being delivered on time and on budget. 

 

There are many more but it's humiliating that the UK cannot build just one arterial high speed line. Look at Spain, France and Germany. Industrialised nations with challenging topography and extensive networks build at a tiny fraction of the cost. 

 

Which ever government spearheads the next major transport project needs to take a long, hard look at HS2 and why it's gone so badly. 

 

On its original timescale, it wouldn't have reached Manchester until the 2040s which in and of itself I find staggering. Are they laying it by hand? 

 

What a flustercuck.

 

Absolute nail on the head J. I find it quite frankly laughable how pathetic this country has now become. Its literally an exercise in greed and corruption.  Wish I'd moved abroad when i had the chance..

[Big J]

5 hours ago, pie eater pete said:

Absolute nail on the head J. I find it quite frankly laughable how pathetic this country has now become. Its literally an exercise in greed and corruption.  Wish I'd moved abroad when i had the chance..

 

France's TGV network is nearly 2700km long.

 

Spain's high speed network is just under 4000km long

 

Germany's ICE network is 1658km long. 

The UKs high speed network will be 336km long when HS2 to Birmingham is completed.

 

Just look at Spain's network - it's a thing of beauty. A country that's 4 times the size of England and the network still reaches all corners of it.

[Pete Mctree]

HS2 was just not needed in a country this size. Extra rail capacity-yes, and needed urgently, but building a scar across the landscape at an insane environmental and social cost - no f***ing way.

It was always a project for the huge civil engineering companies to make an obscene amount of money on. Unwanted, badly planned and funded and delivered irresponsibly. 

[difflock]

Tell you what, problem solved;

All-Island Rail Review: Ambitious £31 billion plan aims to reconnect rail network in Ireland

WWW.BELFASTTELEGRAPH.CO.UK

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Ambitious plans to transform the railway network in Northern Ireland includes new lines from Derry to Portadown and Belfast to Newry.

Thoughts, please.

[sime42]

Here's a nice idea for just 1% of the cost of HS2;-

 

"""A £1 billion five-year plan is needed to save England’s ancient forests, which are more polluted, damaged and contain less wildlife than at any other point in history, the Woodland Trust has said.

 

Its plan, which it said would cost 4% of the Government’s road building budget and 1% of HS2’s price tag, sets out how to reverse the problems identified in its 2021 report State of the UK’s Woods and Trees."""

 

 

‘Irreplaceable habitats’ can be saved with £1bn five-year plan, says charity

WWW.INDEPENDENT.CO.UK

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Only 9% of England’s native woods are in good condition and one third of all woodland species are in decline...

 

[Muddy42]

3 hours ago, sime42 said:

Here's a nice idea for just 1% of the cost of HS2;-

 

"""A £1 billion five-year plan is needed to save England’s ancient forests, which are more polluted, damaged and contain less wildlife than at any other point in history, the Woodland Trust has said.

 

Its plan, which it said would cost 4% of the Government’s road building budget and 1% of HS2’s price tag, sets out how to reverse the problems identified in its 2021 report State of the UK’s Woods and Trees."""

 

 

We also need a change of policy - this is Forestry Scotland's idea of sustainable biodiverse forestry, 75% of the area can be planted in non native Sitka.

 

 

 

[sime42]

1 hour ago, Muddy42 said:

 

We also need a change of policy - this is Forestry Scotland's idea of sustainable biodiverse forestry, 75% of the area can be planted in non native Sitka.

 

 

 

 

Biodiversity of about 1 in that picture!

Sorry, 2 - I didn't count the moss.

 

[Muddy42]

10 minutes ago, sime42 said:

 

Biodiversity of about 1 in that picture!

Sorry, 2 - I didn't count the moss.

 

You were right the first time, the moss has just been photoshop-ed in green and there has definitely been some flash photography involved.  I bet the forestry investors and carbon credit offset crew imagine the are promoting oak trees and bluebells!

[Big J]

I've just become aware of the Danes building a sub-sea tunnel from Rødbyhavn to Puttgarden (I'm a little slow - they've been planning it for over a decade).

 

The projected cost for it (to be completed in 2029) is 6.1 billion euros, or 340 million per kilometer. 

 

HS2 will cost around £1 billion per kilometer, by the time it's finished. 

 

How on earth can building two train tracks across fairly flat English countryside cost more than three times as much as constructing a 4 lane motorway and 2 lane train tracks on the sea bed? 

 

And I bet the Danes finish the tunnel first too.

[lux]

8 minutes ago, Big J said:

I've just become aware of the Danes building a sub-sea tunnel from Rødbyhavn to Puttgarden (I'm a little slow - they've been planning it for over a decade).

 

The projected cost for it (to be completed in 2029) is 6.1 billion euros, or 340 million per kilometer. 

 

HS2 will cost around £1 billion per kilometer, by the time it's finished. 

 

How on earth can building two train tracks across fairly flat English countryside cost more than three times as much as constructing a 4 lane motorway and 2 lane train tracks on the sea bed? 

 

And I bet the Danes finish the tunnel first too.

I always liked that Nordic noir crime series , 'The Bridge' 

Maybe we can have 'The Tunnel' next ..........