High speed rail link - London to B'ham

[RogerS]

Just trying to understand why they think it is (a) needed and (b) worth all that money.

 

[samharber]

a) it isn't.

b) it's not.

 

[RogerS]

Exactly my thoughts, Sam.

 

[cambournepete]

Why not?
I think it should take a great deal of traffic off the roads or from the air.
I'd love to see a network of proper high speed rail in this country.
We need something for the future as the price of petrol/diesel continually rises and the fuel runs out.
I look on this as progress and I get rather irritated by the NIMBYism shown on the news last night.

 

[devonwoody]

It basically goes the old Great Central route out of Marylebone the last of the great routes which was a total loss to investors, looks like the taxpayers are in for a rub up this time. :wink:

 

[RogerS]

Why not?
I think it should take a great deal of traffic off the roads or from the air.
I'd love to see a network of proper high speed rail in this country.
We need something for the future as the price of petrol/diesel continually rises and the fuel runs out.
I look on this as progress and I get rather irritated by the NIMBYism shown on the news last night.

But there is already a very good service (unfilled) between B'ham and London. So they shave a few minutes off the journey...so what? They could easily lose that sitting in a traffic jam.

 

[devonwoody]

And the trains and carriages wont be made in Britain, I remember we had one lot from Romania etc. in the last century.

I understand about buying from the cheapest etc. etc. but we have millions of young workers who need a working future who do not have degrees etc. So unless there is a declaration of buying British that is kept, do without it.

 

[gnu]

The locomotives and carriages are likely to be made in Derby. It will make London commutable from the Midlands, will take a lot of traffic off the roads and will open up large parts of the UK just as the TGV has done for France. On the other hand it is Camerons expensive train set and the money would be better spent on branch lines and opening up old Beeching lines.

 

[RogerS]

The locomotives and carriages are likely to be made in Derby. It will make London commutable from the Midlands, will take a lot of traffic off the roads and will open up large parts of the UK just as the TGV has done for France. On the other hand it is Camerons expensive train set and the money would be better spent on branch lines and opening up old Beeching lines.

London is already commutable from Birmingham (which is where the high speed train line is currently planned to terminate). It only takes 1hr 22 minutes.

I agree that it will take some traffic of the roads but not that much. And the extension to Manchester and Leeds is still open to debate. I'd also argue that France is a much larger country than ours. It was Labours' pet project, I believe, but the then opposition were broadly in favour. I agree with you wholeheartedly re the money being better spent elsewhere.

 

[tsb]

I've never been anywhere on a train yet. But thats not because I haven't tried. Its just that whenever I've priced up a ticket, its so much cheaper to go by car

 

[Anonymous]

I've never been anywhere on a train yet. But thats not because I haven't tried. Its just that whenever I've priced up a ticket, its so much cheaper to go by car

and that is the nail on the head folks!!

My wife and I wanted to go to London for the day one saturday, just spur of the moment decision.

70 quid each return.

its bloody joke

 

[dickm]

I'm a fan of rail travel (senior railcard, Scotrail special offers and long distances to anywhere up here in NE Scotland!). But, looking at the detailed map of the route, it passes about 1/4 mile from a house where we used to live. Wonder what my attitude would be if we still lived there?
And, of course, the distance from London to Aberdeen or even Edinburgh, where the time saving would be signicant, will never be bridged by HS rail.
Interesting that the proposed line loops off the bed of the old Great Central round Brackley and they are going to have to build a new viaduct effectively to replace the rather attractive one on the old line that they blew up some 20 years ago. Progress.....

 

[adidat]

a couple of years ago i attended a large CNC show at the NEC. i arrived at st.pancreas i think. handed over 40 of the queens finest pounds. and boarded a lovely virgin pendelino train, which traveled very fast at times, before i knew it we were pulling into birmingham station.

can anyone point out any problems with this??

i am unaware of the details of the locomotives and rolling stock. but i do believe that the last high speed train was made in japan by hatachi.

adidat

 

[mickthetree]

I drive right through the HS2 route every day on my way to work. It is a beautiful area.

I've been on some cracking virgin trains to leeds to see my sister in the past, but bloody expensive aaaaaand very few fellow passengers. I had the carriage pretty much to myself on a saturday morning both times.

when it boils down to it I just cannot see the demand being there. It seems like we are building it and hopping people will use it, rather than "right there is a serious demand for this, lets build it".

On the other hand, if it was done up like the Orient Express in David Suchet's programmethe other night....

 

[Digit]

Bring back the steam loco!!!

Roy.

 

[adidat]

yes indeed, i was once a conductor on the steam loco that ran around lake bala. but my all time favorite is the RH&DR in kent, finishing in my favorite place in the UK dungeness

adidat

 

[Digit]

At least they managed what ever type of leaves ended up on the line.

Roy.l

 

[adidat]

i seem to have lost you there, which railway where u referring to?

adidat

 

[Digit]

A couple of years back the excuse for some modern trains being delayed was 'leaves on the line,' then of course it was, 'the wrong sort of snow!'

Roy.

 

[adidat]

oh i see sorry

adidat