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High Speed Train 2

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I have just lifted this 'live' from t'internet [see attachment] - isn't 1hr 24mins quick enough? To save a few minutes, which is really what we are talking about, is it worth all that money and cost to the environment? We have a NHS crisis, people dependent on food banks, public services being reduced, a woefully under-funded police force, the list could go on and on and on and on. So, NO, I don't need to get to London a few minutes quicker, I want to see a better place in which to live.
 

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If there is not going to be a station at International, how am I going to get to the NEC superfast then? One point that came up in the theme by MWS just was the money for it being spent in this country, but will it be already, the Japanese (Hitachi), the usual European contingent (Siemens etc plus now Talgo) are bidding for it, and the rails - China or India, the concrete Mexico(cemex) or Austria(hansons) and so it will go on. Yes I know some of these companies have manufactories here Talgo, CAV, Hitachi, Wabtec etc but the profits and taxes do not stay here.. Just adding fuel to the fire.

Bob
 
Your mention of Hansons Bob, just to say, Hansons has a depot in my local town and a huge quarry in the Cotswolds near the Fairford air base.,

I believe they have over three hundred UK manufacturing and distribution sites.
 
Lady Penelope said:
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'.
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I wonder if that's what gave me back ache down to London I have never been so uncomfortable. And so cold. My spine is out anyway so any off balance floors and chairs and I know.
 
The idea is not only to get people more speedily to the large cities on the HS2 route it is also designed to free up seats and allow for more trains on the present route. Whatever happens to it I will not see it and would not have used it anyway as I live a long way from the proposed route. HS2 will be a premium priced route I suspect; those less affluent, with a firm grip on moneyas Mrs. Featherstone would have said), or not on business paid tickets will opt for the regular and cheaper trains I guess.
 
I read a article last week the cost 300 Million a mile
I can see by the time this gets built the technology will be obsolete
Not trains just the high speed travel
 
Eric Gibson said:
Your mention of Hansons Bob, just to say, Hansons has a depot in my local town and a huge quarry in the Cotswolds near the Fairford air base.,

I believe they have over three hundred UK manufacturing and distribution sites.
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Yes, they were a major British aggregates producer they acquired Associatec Ashpalt amongst others and then were acquired I think it was by Heidelbutg If I am wrong there please correct me, I will look it up later
Bob
 
Interestingly enough a lot of major industrials have limited their staffs travelling perks. Unless you are a lawyer or on the Board it is no longer Business plane or First Class train, but economy or budget. They now have a member of staff who specialises in obtaining cheap travel and hotels. My son who is a Director with a major international IT and banking company and flies world wide, can only get business on flights of over 9hours duration and in the UK and Europe often has to use budget airlines which in the case of some UK trips are cheaper than train.
Bob
 
Nico said:
I wonder if that's what gave me back ache down to London I have never been so uncomfortable. And so cold. My spine is out anyway so any off balance floors and chairs and I know.
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Nico, I felt as though I had jet-lag and had a sick headache for ages afterwards. Had to sit on the platform for a while before I could go anywhere else. It's a shame as I wanted to ride on 'Penny the Pendelino'.
 
www.midlandspubs.co.uk said:
I have just lifted this 'live' from t'internet [see attachment] - isn't 1hr 24mins quick enough? To save a few minutes, which is really what we are talking about, is it worth all that money and cost to the environment? We have a NHS crisis, people dependent on food banks, public services being reduced, a woefully under-funded police force, the list could go on and on and on and on. So, NO, I don't need to get to London a few minutes quicker, I want to see a better place in which to live.
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well said...totally agree

lyn
 
www.midlandspubs.co.uk said:
I have just lifted this 'live' from t'internet [see attachment] - isn't 1hr 24mins quick enough? To save a few minutes, which is really what we are talking about, is it worth all that money and cost to the environment? We have a NHS crisis, people dependent on food banks, public services being reduced, a woefully under-funded police force, the list could go on and on and on and on. So, NO, I don't need to get to London a few minutes quicker, I want to see a better place in which to live.
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Absolutely right on point!
 
Edifi said:
Economy's good on Eurostar.It still goes as fast as 1st Class
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We used this when going abroad [trying to be a bit greener] and it is excellent. Our tickets to Marseilles from London were £49.99p - beat that Easyjet! Plus it is city centre to city centre, not an airfield in the middle of nowhere.
But if you really want to travel in style in economy the German trains are tremendous. We took one to Berlin and it was luxurious and high-tec.
The fast track down the spine of Italy is also highly recommended - the views are jaw-dropping.
 
I have no idea how many folk here have traveled at high speed other than flight
I haven driven a car off the clock at 175 mph on the road another time I drove a car flat out over a long bridge here in Tampa Bay 170+ you can not look out the side windows because you can not focus on anything.
Lamp posts become a blur looking forward works because you can focus
. So from what I read there will be many tunnels and a good portion of the line will be a cut, so most will travel in a green gully
No looking out over the green country and enjoying the view
The idea of this has no appeal to me

For many we will not see this project through, i feel that any thing after Birmingham may not get built at all, this could be another Concord (edit) marvelous but with limited use
 
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On most long distance trains today the majority of passengers are looking at their tablets, phones and in some cases a book. Few, in the UK, anyway seem to be concerned with window views. The motor vehicle has to change if the green issues of today are a guide. The railway moves lots of people with only one or two prime movers.
If you read early railway history you will see the same kind of objections - more or less - being raised against Brunel and other railway builders. Some thought a human being could not survive at a speed of more than 10 mph. Cuttings and tunnels were demanded by landed gentry where it was thought a railway line would spoil the manorial view. Many great physical obstacles were encountered and overcome, which has given us some spectacular bridges, viaducts and buildings. The scars on the landscape were soon healed by Mother Nature.
In the middle of the 20th. century the car became king and railways were disparaged. The wheel ;) has turned 180 degrees and the car, whilst still holding its own due to popular need, is no longer a rising star. For many of us motor vehicles are a necessity, however, in future more electric vehicles will serve local, small and rural communities but major travel will be by rail or air. Air will continue as it is worldwide rather than country wide.
 
www.midlandspubs.co.uk said:
We used this when going abroad [trying to be a bit greener] and it is excellent. Our tickets to Marseilles from London were £49.99p - beat that Easyjet! Plus it is city centre to city centre, not an airfield in the middle of nowhere.
But if you really want to travel in style in economy the German trains are tremendous. We took one to Berlin and it was luxurious and high-tec.
The fast track down the spine of Italy is also highly recommended - the views are jaw-dropping.
Click to expand...
The German trains are great...I used to fly to Munich (from US) for BMW then use the trains to Ingolstadt, Wolfsburg and Stuttgart back to Munich. I did that 8 or 9 times, uneventful travel, great coffee and brioche at the stations! Very cost and time efficient.
 
The Victorians made an investment which allows us to benefit from the railways we have today, its now our turn!. As Hilary Benn said," we are making a 150 year investment for this country with HS2".

Anyone who has a genuine interest in the future of Birmingham (as opposed to self interest) should be supporting HS2.

The unions, by the way ,have done nothing to cause lack of investment in the railways but their very noticeable lack of action in the 60s was shameful. They lacked an 'Arthur Scargill' type of leadership which on reflection would have been much more appropriate to rail than coal which was a lost uneconomical case. The closure of many railways was a disgusting waste of infrastructure which over the years we will continue to regret.

Beeching hated 'Parallel Running" and this flawed thinking caused the closure of the Great Central and the Birmingham Snow Hill services to Wolverhampton & London. The Walsall to Birmingham via Aldridge & Walmley services also, this service in particular should never have been closed as its passenger numbers were high and would be considerably higher today with the development of Castle Vale and Walmley alone.
 
mikejee said:
I don't think HS2 will have a station at international. As far as I can see, there will be no stations between Brum and London
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There will be two stations between Curzon Street and Euston

1. Birmingham Interchange
2. Old Oak Common

www.hs2.org.uk

Old Oak Common - HS2

www.hs2.org.uk www.hs2.org.uk

From Wiki

Birmingham Interchange is a planned High Speed 2 railway station in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, West Midlands, England, expected to open in 2026.[2]

Unlike the city centre based Birmingham Curzon Street railway station, the interchange station will be a parkway, serving the east side of Birmingham and surrounding urban areas.[3]

The station will be on the opposite side of the M42 motorway from the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International railway station.[4] The interchange will be connected by a people mover to these locations with a capacity of over 2100 passengers per hour in each direction in the peak period.[3]

Journey time from this station to London is planned to be 38 minutes.[3]
 
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Few years ago when my daughter worked for Eurostar ,she arranged for me to go into the cab of the train going to Paris.The speed was non egsistant it seemed we were travelling at. 60 MPH but we're doing 180
 
Bob,I not on about investment .Im on about DISRUPTION of the services .Just ask the people of Kent Sussex and Surrey
 
I went to St Chad's on Friday for a funeral. As we were passing those brand new offices in Snow Hill I was told that HS2 have several floors there and they're all fitted out with the best furniture. No problem with this but apparently nobody ever uses them. Is it an investment or do they intend to use them in the future?
 
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