HS2 unachievable

[Michael Rolls]

Could have told them that years ago
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jul/30/hs2-officially-unachievable-red-rating-problems-london-birminghamgo

[klondike]

Bad link. I found it by search.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jul/30/hs2-officially-unachievable-red-rating-problems-london-birmingham

I don't know if it is achievable or not. I do know that in the current climate it is unaffordable and suspect that any corrections of the unachievability will certainly make it even less affordable.

[Michael Rolls]

Thanks K - don't know why my link didn't work - probably die to Brexit!!!

[klondike]

Now knowing the correct link it's because you somehow added "go" to the end of it. Just like the HS2 problem that made the target unreachable

July 30, 2023, 03:40:13 PM
The end of the story has a sort of mission statement which I fear needs a little in the way of correction....

"HS2 will bring transformational benefits for bankrupt generations to come, improving connections   leading to constant delays and helping grow destroying the economy."

[Michael Rolls]

absolutely

[GrannyMac]

White elephant.   Donny to Kings X in around an hour and a half. How much faster do they want? 

[Michael Rolls]

exactly

[Diasi]

White elephant.  Donny to Kings X in around an hour and a half. How much faster do they want?

For us probably not that important, for a 'time's money businessman' travelling that route daily probably quite important.

Anyway it's not all about speed, it's about the extra capacity so people don't have to stand for the whole journey on the existing East Coast Line once the rain reaches Grantham.

[Alex]

Still think we should cut our losses and spend some money up north !

[Diasi]

Still think we should cut our losses and spend some money up north !

That was the aim of HS2, to enable Northern based companies to compete with those in the South.

[Alex]

In the age of meetings over t'internet how many people will really benefit from HS2 ?  I don't use the trains but I know people who do and the main problem up here is crowded trains, cancellations, and generally not knowing if you'll actually get to your destination.   

[JBR]

HS2 should have been cancelled years ago.  
But no, the 'experts' decided that it was not only necessary (which it isn't) but would make us competitive with the European countries (specifically France and Germany) who already have successful high speed railways, to say nothing of Japan with its well-established high speed trains.

So far, it has managed to reach from somewhere near inner London to somewhere near Birmingham.
Manchester?
I doubt it.
Leeds?
Forget it.

Despite continuing to pour billions into it, I am fairly sure that Birmingham to Euston will never be completed.
Even if somehow it is, it will never ever pay for itself.

[Ashy]

As far as I know, HS2 is exclusively a passenger railway. It will always have to be subsidised and its value to the country will be negligible.

[Diasi]

It will always have to be subsidised and its value to the country will be negligible.

Funnily enough that's just what us lot up North think about the billions spent on the various London Underground extensions.

[JBR]

Funnily enough that's just what us lot up North think about the billions spent on the various London Underground extensions.

Absolutely.  I remember them not long ago talking about improving the rail links in the North...
even in places outside of God's County.