HS2 progress 2020 and beyond

[Eric Gibson]

The problem for those designing these schemes is that the politicians move the goalposts to suit their own needs, objectors arrive in their thousands and what was planned never gets done without modifications to suit every objector.
I saw a story about a motorway by-pass having to be rerouted costing many thousands ( maybe millions) of pounds to avoid six great crested newts.

 

[Richard Dye]

But France/Spain/Japan/China built high speed rail…..

It’s not what they built it’s how they built it! China for example basically copied the Japanese high speed rail, and who knows what their costs really are/were. The shin kan sen (spell) I first rode in 1976 I believe from Tokyo to Nagoya. They started slowly and developed techniques over time. I believe France did as well, not sure about Spain, I would expect them to use much of France’s technology which is a good thing!

 

[Richard Dye]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_high-speed_railway_lines

Quite an interesting read……

 

[Lloyd]

My view is that the NIMBYs who say it is a 'white elephant' and 'not needed' are not bothered by the fact that the current rail system does not cope well with the increasing demand for commuter travel, the increase of which is to be expected with the desire to reduce car use and therefore pollution.

The 'High Speed' lines are as important to the future of this country as the original coming of railways was in the early 19th century. Their improvement to long-distance speedy travel will, to a lesser extent, reduce the demand for air travel and, more importantly, free up capacity on existing lines for local and inter-urban transport. This or more roads? The NIMBY's choice.

 

[mikejee]

What you say, Lloyd, is true in theory, but that is not what has happened. As originally planned would have at least partially helped with these problems. But in its form now it is just one line , grossly overpriced due to the corruption that seems endemic in much of the construction industry (as with Covid), and with little chance of much of its potential being used in the near future .