Good idea, bad idea? I don't really see the point of making Manchester/Birmingham > London 20 minutes faster and would rather than higher investment in regional transport, such as trans-pennine routes.
Seems like they have promised 5bn towards buses and cycle lanes as well to prove they're not just focusing on HS2 to the detriment of all else. More investment in cycling is a big thing for me, given its benefits towards easing traffic congestion, aiding public health and helping the environment.
I'd quite like to see a reversal of the de-regulation of public transport (especially buses) by Thatcher and an increase in competition. Unregulated free market in this instance has just led to monopolisation, poor service and price gouging.
We are also having a bridge from Scotland to Northern Ireland apparently, just like the garden bridge in London.
(02-11-2020, 08:41 AM)Derek Hardballs Wrote: [ -> ]We are also having a bridge from Scotland to Northern Ireland apparently, just like the garden bridge in London.
Makes Labour's broadband policy almost seem rational.
Something to keep the voters of Bishop Auckland warm in the morning as they wait for their poorly run bus service (if they have one) to take them to work.
My mate in Solihull will be delighted. When I spoke to him previously about it he was anticipating his house increasing in value by 50%.
I'd rather the money was invested in improving the current system, tbh.
(02-11-2020, 05:55 PM)chasetownbaggie Wrote: [ -> ]My mate in Solihull will be delighted. When I spoke to him previously about it he was anticipating his house increasing in value by 50%.
I'd rather the money was invested in improving the current system, tbh.
The capacity benefit from HS2 will provide the best return compared to regional upgrades, especially in the West Midlands. As an engineer, building it is crucial to the future railway network and the projected financial benefits from just phase 1 are worth over £1bn a year to the West Midlands Combined Authority.
And I say that as someone who lives next to where the line is being built with no way to use it.
It's a good idea in terms of the whole project, but I'm worried about how it will be delivered in terms of overall costs and whether they will do the whole line to the north. I would have preferred they start the investment between Birmingham and the North rather than the initial brain drain line to London.
(02-11-2020, 06:39 PM)Borin\ Baggie Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2020, 05:55 PM)chasetownbaggie Wrote: [ -> ]My mate in Solihull will be delighted. When I spoke to him previously about it he was anticipating his house increasing in value by 50%.
I'd rather the money was invested in improving the current system, tbh.
The capacity benefit from HS2 will provide the best return compared to regional upgrades, especially in the West Midlands. As an engineer, building it is crucial to the future railway network and the projected financial benefits from just phase 1 are worth over £1bn a year to the West Midlands Combined Authority.
And I say that as someone who lives next to where the line is being built with no way to use it.
I don't use trains much tbh, so I could well be spouting shite here, but I struggle with the capacity argument. Obviously, it will increase capacity but I don't see how it will ease capacity issues on the rest of the network. It's a train that will initially go from Curzon St to the airport and then London. How is that going to ease problems for people travelling into Brum from the suburbs? Or commuters travelling from the Home Counties into London.
One of the other issues I have with HS2 is how it isn't connected to HS1 allowing direct travel from Brum to Europe. If it were, I'd probably be on board with it Similarly, I think it should also be departing New Street.
(02-13-2020, 09:10 AM)chasetownbaggie Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2020, 06:39 PM)Borin\ Baggie Wrote: [ -> ] (02-11-2020, 05:55 PM)chasetownbaggie Wrote: [ -> ]My mate in Solihull will be delighted. When I spoke to him previously about it he was anticipating his house increasing in value by 50%.
I'd rather the money was invested in improving the current system, tbh.
The capacity benefit from HS2 will provide the best return compared to regional upgrades, especially in the West Midlands. As an engineer, building it is crucial to the future railway network and the projected financial benefits from just phase 1 are worth over £1bn a year to the West Midlands Combined Authority.
And I say that as someone who lives next to where the line is being built with no way to use it.
I don't use trains much tbh, so I could well be spouting shite here, but I struggle with the capacity argument. Obviously, it will increase capacity but I don't see how it will ease capacity issues on the rest of the network. It's a train that will initially go from Curzon St to the airport and then London. How is that going to ease problems for people travelling into Brum from the suburbs? Or commuters travelling from the Home Counties into London.
One of the other issues I have with HS2 is how it isn't connected to HS1 allowing direct travel from Brum to Europe. If it were, I'd probably be on board with it Similarly, I think it should also be departing New Street.
I'll post a more detailed reply when I get home but the core reason is that currently we have faster trains running through an at capacity line and therefore competing with freight and commuter services, couple that with New Street being at capacity as well. Moving some of the faster services on a dedicated line means that more services can run on both, meaning there's more intercity services and more commuter services. It also means more stations can be reopened as there's less problems with congestion. And New Street has serious issues with expansion, it's right in the city centre so you'll struggle to conduct structural audits and there's no room for new platforms to be built.
The lack of a link with HS1 is a shame as it was in the original plans but given that it's only a short hop from Euston to St Pancras it's not too bad, and tunneling from Euston to Stratford International will cost a lot of money.
I have heard most of the redevelopment around Curzon street is by wealthy Chinese investors and the like so I don't think the project was ever really in doubt in regards to Brum at least.
If I was in charge of HS2 first thing I would have
done was to change it round,by which I mean start in Leeds then Manchester, Birmingham
and finish it in London
more incentive to get it finished that way before the money's all gone !!!