HS2

[Herman 9,838]

1 hour ago, Nuff Said said:

Having finally got round to looking at where Old Oak Common is on a map - WTF? It’s almost directly west of Euston. Are they rerouting the whole London stage, or was the plan for the line to come into Old Oak Common and then do a 90 degree turn left to get to Euston? Neither makes any sense. But then more fool me for thinking it should I guess.

I had to look it up too. Sounds like an idyllic, London suburb, rolling hills, ancient woodland etc. It's right next to Wormwood Scrubs.😬

[cambridgeshire canary 6,833]

"Ummm no guys Sunak is wrong uh, it's still going ahead it's not scrapped we swear"

 

Goodbye Sunak. Was not nicing having you.

 

[Herman 9,838]

He's going to announce it's going ahead like it's some fantastic new policy they've figured upon.

[MooreMarriot 313]

According to ITV News it's a no from Sunak.

 

https://www.itv.com/news/2023-10-02/hs2-to-manchester-shelved-itv-news-understands

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

12 minutes ago, MooreMarriot said:

According to ITV News it's a no from Sunak.

 

https://www.itv.com/news/2023-10-02/hs2-to-manchester-shelved-itv-news-understands

Eunak the hero arrives jusst in time to help out the North.He will deliver ugrades to Northern infrastructure that will cost thre times as much as it would have done when they asked for it.

[Naturalcynic 678]

2 hours ago, keelansgrandad said:

I wonder where HS2 is on the agenda at the Tory Conference. I wonder how many went to Manchester by train?

Probably none as they’re on strike yet again.

[Well b back 3,284]

In the middle of all this are 2 mayors, Manchester Andy Burnham and Birmingham a guy called Andy Street. You will all have heard of the 1st, but the 2nd is the Conservative mayor of Birmingham. Street is up here a bit of a champion, to the extent that even Labour voters vote for him, a bit of a cult hero. He is very close as well to the government.

He has come out against the government big time ( assuming they are really stopping the last leg ). There are hints he may resign if HS2 is stopped at Birmingham, should that happen, the Tories in the midlands will really be in free fall.

[Well b back 3,284]

A bit more of Andy Streets comments.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66985792

[Well b back 3,284]

And rumours abound that the London end will be spared, whilst the Northern end is scrapped lol

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

I would wager that since Brexit and Covid, the DLR isn't as busy.

[benchwarmer 625]

An interesting take on HS2 from some levelling up supporters.

Use HS2 as a non-stop city to city route, then bring back abandoned or seldom used intermediate stations on existing lines and create new ones - Rishi's town to town links.

Edited October 3, 2023 by benchwarmer

[Yellow Fever 3,841]

30 minutes ago, benchwarmer said:

An interesting take on HS2 from some levelling up supporters.

Use HS2 as a non-stop city to city route, then bring back abandoned or seldom used intermediate stations on existing lines and create new ones - Rishi's town to town links.

HS2 only made sense to me if it did indeed go to Manchester, Leeds and indeed beyond. A high speed back bone down the country.

Now with it gone how about another Cross Rail (or Lizzy line II) or Thames Link. I know the new Thames crossing. The economic hub of the country that is London and the home counties can surely do with yet more infrastructure.

After all, anything north of the Watford Gap services or indeed East of the A1/M11 surely is only yokels and money wasted.

Thanks for all the leveling up votes by the way in 2019! One born every minute.

Edited October 3, 2023 by Yellow Fever

[Herman 9,838]

🤨

 

[benchwarmer 625]

1 hour ago, Herman said:

🤨

 

The section from Birmingham to Crewe has already been approved by parliament.  I assume that means that a vote will be needed to cancel it.  Could be interesting.

Edited October 3, 2023 by benchwarmer

[yellowrider120 793]

leaving aside all the other stuff about Mr B Johnson, this is an excellent article.

 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12575763/BORIS-JOHNSON-not-scrap-hs2-manchester-leg.html

Years back I was not in favour of HS2 at all as I thought the £ could have been better spent focusing on rail and other infrastructure projects in the Midlands and North. However, once Parliament approved HS2 we should have made a major national effort and built the whole thing as per the original plans. Hacking bits off and deferring other bits makes a mockery of the whole project. 

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

This has turned into Harold Wilson's TSR2.

[Yellow Fever 3,841]

'Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone'

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, 
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, 
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum 
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come. 

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead 
Scribbling on the sky the message HS2 Is Dead, 
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves, 
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves. 

HS2 was my North, my South, my East and West, 
My working week and my Sunday rest, 
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; 
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong. 

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one; 
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun; 
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood; 
For nothing now can ever come to any good. 

W H Auden

Edited October 3, 2023 by Yellow Fever

[benchwarmer 625]

Just heard confirmation on Radio 4 that the Birmingham to Crewe section will require a parliamentary vote to scrap it.

The UK has finally thrown in the towel.  It's been coming ever since 2016.

[Yellow Fever 3,841]

I expect to hear tomorrow that A47 full dualling, the Western Link and even the Wash Barrier are all go go go.

[Well b back 3,284]

I mentioned yesterday the West Midlands mayor Andy Street. Living up here I have to say he is a bit of a hero, bringing the commonwealth games, and investment from all over the world. The Tories hold him up as one of their top people. If his version is correct, he has contacted investors around the world, and claimed if the government couldn’t fund HS2 he could sort it. There is no reason to disbelieve his story.

It is being reported locally that he was summoned by Sunak this afternoon ( it is also believed that Burnham didn’t get that honour ) and told of Sunak’s decision not to go ahead. Local news is reporting him as distraught, remember as well he has been out selling this to foreign investors, who have invested in the West Midlands because of HS2.

If he resigns ( especially if he stands as an independent ) the Tories up here will be destroyed, even ultra safe seats could go. 

[Herman 9,838]

Scrapped but, don't worry, the money will all go on other local projects.

[keelansgrandad 6,679]

Eunak knows he is on the way out so just carries on with the same old message "every penny". If it was too expensive in the first place, why are you going to spend as much money again.

Enoch Braverman thinks she has all the answers.

[ricardo 7,414]

White Elephant vanity project that 99% of the population would never use.

[ricardo 7,414]

14 hours ago, Yellow Fever said:

I expect to hear tomorrow that A47 full dualling, the Western Link and even the Wash Barrier are all go go go.

Not if we want to save the bat colony and one or two rare orchids in the Wensum valley.

 

[Creative Midfielder 2,003]

49 minutes ago, Herman said:

Scrapped but, don't worry, the money will all go on other local projects.

Of course it is, as if anybody is going to believe that....😂😂

And as for "Be in no doubt: it is time for a change. And we are it. Thank you."  - he must be beyond delusional if he thinks anybody is going to do anything than laugh out load at the idea.

Very clear now though that he has given up completely on the idea of trying to defend the red wall seats or northern seats generally and indeed that there is any part of the Tories 13 years record in government that makes them worthy of re-election.

But if he thinks that spouting the sort of pure b*****ks that he has been coming out with for the last 2-3 weeks is his best or only option then we can certainly look forward with a lot more confidence to the Tories getting absolutely hammered at the next GE.

Edited October 4, 2023 by Creative Midfielder

[Yellow Fever 3,841]

7 minutes ago, ricardo said:

White Elephant vanity project that 99% of the population would never use.

I can agree with that and was the concern at the time. However its the message it sends that's wrong (after 20 years). Once you green light these things (after you've made all the arguments) then you really should see it through to Manchester as a minimum.That said I'm pleased with the other infrastructure projects assuming those include those needed here!.

Other countries seem however able to do both!

Anyway, the London commuters will be pleased with the local increased capacity on commuter lines as I was once told. 

Western link money tomorrow. A47 dualling starts later this year. A17 (or A17M) / Wash anybody!

[Yellow Fever 3,841]

6 minutes ago, ricardo said:

Not if we want to save the bat colony and one or two rare orchids in the Wensum valley.

 

I have lot of bats in my garden at dusk swooping under the trees. 

[ricardo 7,414]

5 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

I have lot of bats in my garden at dusk swooping under the trees. 

Little chance of a high speed rail coming through rose beds then?

[Yellow Fever 3,841]

2 minutes ago, ricardo said:

Little chance of a high speed rail coming through rose beds then?

None at all. I ought to try and identify them at some point - at least two kinds (one small and one larger) I think but far too fast to actually see properly in the gloom. Biggest has 6" bat-span. 

[ricardo 7,414]

8 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

I can agree with that and was the concern at the time. However its the message it sends that's wrong (after 20 years). Once you green light these things (after you've made all the arguments) then you really should see it through to Manchester as a minimum.That said I'm pleased with the other infrastructure projects assuming those include those needed here!.

Other countries seem however able to do both!

Anyway, the London commuters will be pleased with the local increased capacity on commuter lines as I was once told. 

Western link money tomorrow. A47 dualling starts later this year. A17 (or A17M) / Wash anybody!

Other countries (France, Spain) have a much larger land area than the UK, with large cities hundreds of miles apart and with lots of empty space in between. This is completely different to the UK which thanks to being first in industrialisation, has huge legacy built up conurbations with almost no free space between. It was always going to be prohibitively expensive to attempt to replicate a high speed rail network here. I don't think we will find Starmer reintroducing this if Labour win the next election. For me this was always akin to the Boris Island London Airport in the Thames estuary idea. Money down the drain with little benefit to the average person. Birminham to London, ten minutes quicker, so what?