HS2 high-speed London-Birmingham route rail project - discussion

[cybershot]

Apparently boris is going to commit to the northern extension today despite hs2 being under an internal review of some sorts.

Just how many promises does boris intend to make within a week and break them.

 

[kebabking]

Apparently boris is going to commit to the northern extension today despite hs2 being under an internal review of some sorts.

Just how many promises does boris intend to make within a week and break them.

Most of them?

Interestingly however, there's a good slice of opinion that suggests that if you want to radically boost the economies of the midlands and the north, the last thing you should do is make getting to London easier and quicker.

Build HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester, and then Glasgow and Edinburgh, and 'HS3' from Liverpool to Hull, and you'll achieve far more than you would by including London in the network...

 

[teuchter]

Most of them?

Interestingly however, there's a good slice of opinion that suggests that if you want to radically boost the economies of the midlands and the north, the last thing you should do is make getting to London easier and quicker.

Build HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester, and then Glasgow and Edinburgh, and 'HS3' from Liverpool to Hull, and you'll achieve far more than you would by including London in the network...

Go on then - explain the thinking behind this opinion.

 

[alex_]

Go on then - explain the thinking behind this opinion.

I’m guessing you make places in “the north” more attractive for employers because there are more potential employees within x minutes of whatever location you pick.

Ie you make goole commutable to Manchester or Liverpool to Leeds commutable.

Whereas faster rail to London just increases London’s attractions (and presumably Birmingham and other hs2 stops )

Alex

 

[hash tag]

Do we need another review? Somewhere in the region of £8 bn already spent and by the time we get to the enquiry much more will have been spent. Having come this far, should we not just be pushing ahead with it?

 

[kebabking]

Do we need another review? Somewhere in the region of £8 bn already spent and by the time we get to the enquiry much more will have been spent. Having come this far, should we not just be pushing ahead with it?

Not if it's going to hit £70bn with dubious benefits for the North and Midlands.

The Birmingham to London bit is by far the most expensive section, with the least benefits for anyone except people who'll then be able to live in Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire etc.. and work in London - the cost of which will be emotional, and therefore only available to a tiny number.

 

[cybershot]

HS2 railway to be delayed by up to five years

 

[Teaboy]

HS2 railway to be delayed by up to five years

Its good that there being honest or at least more honest.

In general I agree with kebabking in that it would have been a lot cheaper and of more benefit to build the Northern sections first. Problem is as the video that accompanies the story shows construction is already well under way.

 

[kebabking]

HS2 railway to be delayed by up to five years

SEP.

Someone Else's Problem.

 

[hash tag]

With the London bit being the most difficult what with CPO's and the like, had they had too many obstacles, they might have scrapped it there and then.
Besides who in London wants to head North and does London need more tourists

 

[SpookyFrank]

So, we're in to the 2030s now.

By which time London will be a desolate husk of a place thanks to the inevitable property crash and the decimation of the financial sector which will follow from it. Still, at least refugee Londoners will be able to flee the artisan cannibal gangs and involuntary organ donation consultants in comfort and style.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Besides who in London wants to head North and does London need more tourists

Who in the North of England wants to go to London? London is an overcrowded dump.

 

[hash tag]

It all happens in London, parliament, home of prime minister, protests, demos....

 

[farmerbarleymow]

It all happens in London, parliament, home of prime minister, protests, demos....

You're not exactly selling it...

 

[Teaboy]

Who in the North of England wants to go to London? London is an overcrowded dump.

Sadly a lot of your fellow Northerners. They're everywhere and make the place look scruffy and untidy. Can you please come and collect them before they adversely affect the house prices?

 

[editor]

Save the Cumber-tree! Help save a tree called Benedict Cumberbatch in Euston, London

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

A tree named after him, huh? Save it for me, I'll bring my own chainsaw.

 

[kenny g]

Just looked up the fellow on wikipedia and realised I have not seen any of the films he stars in. I suspect I recognise the tree though.

 

[r0bb0]

People can fly to Birmingham for £20, cheaper to fly to Paris than the train

 

[alex_]

People can fly to Birmingham for £20, cheaper to fly to Paris than the train

Ah yes - flying - the low carbon transport method.

Plus Gatwick and heathrow have almost unlimited free capacity too.

 

[BigTom]

People can fly to Birmingham for £20, cheaper to fly to Paris than the train

Direct flights from London to Birmingham?

I did a quick look and couldn't see any direct flights (from heathrow) or anything indirect costing close to £20. The cheapest (looking on cheapflights.com) was £156 and was actually a railway journey, via milton keynes no less!

Otherwise they are all like this, so yes, you can fly from Heathrow to Birmingham, if you want to go via a different hub like Dublin, Amsterdam or Zurich, and spend £400+ on the flights, which take you twice as long as the train, even without counting the extra time you need to arrive before check in and getting your luggage.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Direct flights from London to Birmingham?

There used to be from Heathrow, they stopped when the M40 was extended from Oxford up to Brum.

 

[r0bb0]

I did a quick Google and didn't really check the results, that"ll teach me. Found £44 one way to Manchester. I doubt you'll get that price on this beast.
[Q,"BigTom, post: 16331336, member: 2853"]Direct flights from London to Birmingham?

I did a quick look and couldn't see any direct flights (from heathrow) or anything indirect costing close to £20. The cheapest (looking on cheapflights.com) was £156 and was actually a railway journey, via milton keynes no less!

Otherwise they are all like this, so yes, you can fly from Heathrow to Birmingham, if you want to go via a different hub like Dublin, Amsterdam or Zurich, and spend £400+ on the flights, which take you twice as long as the train, even without counting the extra time you need to arrive before check in and getting your luggage.

View attachment 193229[/QUOTE]

 

[r0bb0]

Aviation is a 21st century growth industry with huge demand in the developing world. Need to get the planes less polluting by tinkering with the aviation fuel and less noisy. Paying an extra £100 to these fat cats so you can say your a train riding ecowarrior ain't gonna cut it

Ah yes - flying - the low carbon transport method.

Plus Gatwick and heathrow have almost unlimited free capacity too.

 

[alex_]

Aviation is a 21st century growth industry with huge demand in the developing world. Need to get the planes less polluting by tinkering with the aviation fuel and less noisy. Paying an extra £100 to these fat cats so you can say your a train riding ecowarrior ain't gonna cut it

Zero carbon trains are a lot closer than zero carbon planes

 

[Crispy]

Need to get the planes less polluting by tinkering with the aviation fuel and less noisy.

Very, very far from easy.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Aviation is a 21st century growth industry

FYI adding the phrase '21st century' to things for no reason isn't quite as impactful as it might have been twenty years ago.

 

[r0bb0]

Wanted government to upgrade the existing track, get the common man involved ,with a promise not to push up the prices ,but they said no

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Wanted government to upgrade the existing track

I think you might want to look at how high speed rail works for that one.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Zero carbon trains are a lot closer than zero carbon planes

*picture of an owl with raised eyebrows*