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High Speed Train 2

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Robert Ensor (bob) said:
Well the plot thickens I read that Japan will now switch to Mag-lev trains for it's high speed lines
Projected start date for sevice 2027.
With others coming on line
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And in China where they copied the Japanese (Shinkansen) sp Bullitt Train for their Beijing Olympics and only the visitors could afford to use it. after many years they have subsidized it to where it is used by many.
 
Richarddye said:
Bob, I hope its not like the line in California where they spent three times the original amount and found that it was not going to work as expected so they did not finish it!
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We have the same deal here in Florida but what ever happens we have to have a station at the Mouse House..
The three fingered little bigger that whats us to write the check
 
Are there any like me who have not used a train for years ? My last train journey was to London 20 years ago from Bham Int to take some paintings to an exhibition. I like train travel but find the cost prohibitive. This was not always the case. I dread to think what HS2 will cost to travel on. Eric
 
My son went to London and back today for £32, its cheaper than driving, congestion charge and parking. In fact a car park for the day would cost you that
 
cookie273uk said:
Are there any like me who have not used a train for years ? My last train journey was to London 20 years ago from Bham Int to take some paintings to an exhibition. I like train travel but find the cost prohibitive. This was not always the case. I dread to think what HS2 will cost to travel on. Eric
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Cookie, you are absolutely on point! I like trains and everything about them however they are expensive and sometimes not on time.
In Germany I have used trains a lot from Munich to Stuttgart to Ingolstadt to Wolfsburg and back. Very comfortable and a little pricey. Japan and China are newer trains not inexpensive.
 
I just checked train prices from Birmingham New Street to London Euston and return.
Leave Thursday 20th. Jan. 09.13 and return from London at 18.21 (same day) Offer price £37.00
That's is not expensive at all. There are more expensive prices but there are always offers.
 
www.statista.com

Rail network density in selected countries 2015 | Statista

In 2015, the Czech Republic had the highest rail network density of any country, coming in at 122.61 meters of track per square kilometer.
www.statista.com www.statista.com

The above makes good reading, look at the size of our country, and that mileage is after 6000 mies of cuts. We have a very dense system in a small country its always going to come with operational challenges
 
I may have mentioned this before, my daughter and her husband on a visit here from the US had a journey from Wolverhampton to Glasgow first class on Virgin trains for £35 each, they were advised to book early by one of her husbands relatives who works at Birmingham Airport as it was cheaper and more convenient than flying.
 
Yes, I use the trains fairly regularly and you can get some good deals if you book in advance. I also have a senior rail card that give 30% discount. I do like train travel.
 
My daughter tells me that occasionally she travels Brum to London for as little as £13.50 RETURN! Seems very cheap especially when I'm paying £65 from North Devon to London and that is with a railcard. Back on theme, if Northern Rail is so bad as we see on TV why aren't "we" building the Leeds/Manchester-Birmingham arms first so as to relieve pressure on these tracks?
 
devonjim said:
...why aren't "we" building the Leeds/Manchester-Birmingham arms first so as to relieve pressure on these tracks?
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I suspect that the 'northern' section would have been built with fewer public protests and with far fewer tunnels per mile than are now proposed for the 'southern' section.

Perhaps Birmingham should be grateful that it is on the proposed route, albeit by a spur. Remember the 'London to Birmingham' motorway? That road sort of headed towards Birmingham in an M6-style way, stopped and became the M45 and nearly got to Coventry then stopped. Eventually the M1 works re-started and it began heading toward Leeds. Now the traveller from London had two choices, sort of go to Birmingham and sort of go to Leeds. However travellers from Birmingham and Leeds had no such choice as the M45 had no access to the northern part of the M1. At least under the current plan Birmingham will get a 'Y' junction.

'All roads lead to London' pretty much describes the UK's rail, road and air networks. It probably comes from the Roman idea, "How do we best get our tax collectors and army out to the provinces and back?"
 
Same thing happened with the original railway system hence Rugby - Stafford is the West Coast Mainline
 
cookie273uk said:
Are there any like me who have not used a train for years ? My last train journey was to London 20 years ago from Bham Int to take some paintings to an exhibition. I like train travel but find the cost prohibitive. This was not always the case. I dread to think what HS2 will cost to travel on. Eric
Click to expand...
We found we had to go to London for a legal matter and took the train. We prefer to speak to a person. We felt like a couple of greenhorns. The ticket office staff vary, some where very helpful others abrupt, almost rude. We thought it was very expensive? The platform staff were very kind and explained about the platform tickets and the train tickets. We explained we never travel by train anymore.
We got our seat ok. We had an allotted seat like in a plane. That was new to me. I wish I had taken a cushion like when I drive.Then I realised we would be better with our coats off . So up again and I squashed it to try and make a pillow.. I was really uncomfortable both ways. The seats are made for slim people with straight backs. I am not fat. Very claustrophobic.I thought I was going to have a panic attack but I controlled it.
Coming back people sat where they liked, some were asked to move by the people with the seat numbers they were in.
There were a large group of students, half standing playing noisy lap top games.
Very clean plastic hard seats. It was very draughty and cold and I caught a heavy cold which lasted 3 weeks. I am in no hurry to travel by train.
My ex colleague and friend had to commute from the shires to London every day to our sister office. He was always in trouble for being late. He said it was standing room only. I was told they didn't do that any more. The last straw was when a stranger kept pushing him for no reason and they got in to an argument, the stranger punched him and a fight erupted but only my friend was ejected. He no longer travels by train either. Maybe it's not all like this?
 
You can get the train on the Chiltern Mainline between Birmingham Snow Hill / Moor Street / Solihull to London Marylebone. Much less stressful than Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway on the West Coast Mainline. And more likely to get a seat. Fastest trains takes about 90 minutes.

 
ellbrown said:
You can get the train on the Chiltern Mainline between Birmingham Snow Hill / Moor Street / Solihull to London Marylebone. Much less stressful than Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway on the West Coast Mainline. And more likely to get a seat. Fastest trains takes about 90 minutes.

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Nice picture Ellbrown. Good composition combining the old part of Moor st with the modern Selfridges building. I like it.
 
We always use the Chiltern line when we go to London. I find the trains much more comfortable and I can't travel on the Pendelino because of the way they 'lean'.
 
Radiorails said:
The latest news on HS2:
www.bbc.co.uk

HS2: Six reasons why the rail route is so expensive

The controversial high-speed rail project could potentially cost as much as £106bn.
www.bbc.co.uk
Click to expand...
Very telling article Alan! Seems like all governments (especially when the contractor does not share any risk) do the same thing in projects, understate the cost to get their hands on the money. Seems like in HS2 the die has been cast and the monies are well on the way.
Thanks for sharing!
 
Radiorails said:
The latest news on HS2:
www.bbc.co.uk

HS2: Six reasons why the rail route is so expensive

The controversial high-speed rail project could potentially cost as much as £106bn.
www.bbc.co.uk
Click to expand...
That seemed like an excellent and sensible article. I have no interest in HS2 because it obly affects me in so much as it may take monies away from the South West, but perhaps the members who still live in Birmingham and its environs (did you own that red covered map book whose title this was), could give us all some idea how they feel about it and will it be any use to them, or will it be the scene at Birmingham International, that all those people who use a Virgin (or whatever their name is now) train to go from New Street to International for the NEC instead of using the approved (a Virgin ticket collectors expression to me) local service. Will it be 'no don't catch the West Coast Express or take that empty local stopper, lets wait for HS2', sorry folks someone let the cynic out again, but I am seriously interested to know how the 'Midlander' feels about it?

Bob
 
Ambivalent. It's a lot of money and not sure the promised benefits will be realised. Also I can see the lines to Manchester and Leeds being scrapped after the first part.

Will it benefit the people of the midlands and the north or will it just mean people who work in London can live further away. How about encouraging businesses away from London (and other city centres) so people don't have to travel so much.

How many people do eighteen trains an hour carry? And what will they all do when it breaks down?

They should definitely stop going on about the speed and emphasise the capacity. Also I don't think money is wasted as long as it's spent in this country - however I bet the people at the top are being paid way too much.
 
I suspect the projected level of service is based on the future reduction of motor vehicle use - especially those that are capable of long distances. Major cities are already formulating how they will reduce/prohibit road traffic within their boundaries.
 
My daughter is a mad keen Villa supporter( She's just been made Chair person of theVilla Lions here in Kent).She never misses a match home and away.She gets up toBham by Chiltern Rail,and by booking way in advance costs her £6 each way. Don't know how she does it but she does.
 
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