Are We There Yet?

[douglas9401]

The half-baked plans to save a few minutes between 'the north' and London may not reach, errr, London.
Is there ANYTHING this country and governments can do properly, cheating excepted.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64421566

[Old_Geezer]

I'm sure they can catch the connecting bus service.

[youngmafbog]

The answer is no Douglas.

Governments have no clue how to draw up contracts. Not their money is it and in most cases so many people pass through blame can never be laid at anyones feet.

Of course the underlying problem is the (un) civil service who should be setting this and monitoring the project not the Government as they are the constant. But of course civil servants cant be fired either.

[barry1010]

My locality has suffered years of major roadworks at great financial cost to instal a tramline between two points and has run out of money. It is very likely the route will terminate a few miles short.

[ToraToraTora]

"The half-baked plans to save a few minutes between 'the north' and London may not reach, errr, London. " - that's what the hard of thinking continually drone on about but that's not the main reason for doing it. It's about capacity in the exiting lines but hey dougy don't break the habit of a life time and get the right end of the stick.

[Zacs-Master]

mushroom (who seems to be a bit of a rail expert) gave a good explanation of the need for HS2. As Tora says, it's not about time.

[Zacs-Master]

Mushroom's explanation (or one of them):
'"Time saved" is a spin off. the essential problem being solved by HS2 is a lack of capacity on the existing railway. the last upgrade was meant to be future proof until 2030 but has already been used up. a further upgrade(assuming it's possible) could take 20 years, with its attendant disruption.
so 2 choices: new build HS2? of allowing 80T trucks on our roads (which would end railfreight and the need for more capacity overnight)?'

[ToraToraTora]

The existing line is used for passengers and freight, slow trains, fast(er) trains, freight trains etc all sharing the same line. HS2 is primarily to get most of the passengers off the existing line and leave that for freight and stopping services etc. The sad thing is that early on it became known that the new line would be N minutes quicker than the existing one for passengers. Hey presto the media and general ignorencia focus only on that. Hence the general public, like the questioner here think that the time difference is the reason for doing it.

[youngmafbog]

TTT, the question still remains though on poor contracts. Which is the real problem here.

[Bazile]

Like so many of these government projects , someone is laughing all the way to the bank

''I think that I can do it for X pounds , however I may come back to you for XXXX...more pounds''

[ToraToraTora]

No doubt there's been *** ups with contracts like all public sector run projects. I'm just correcting the common belief that it's all about shaving a few minutes off the journey time.

[youngmafbog]

Appreciate that TTT, just ensuring we dont fall into the trap the lefty pedants on this site do, latching onto a side swipe but ignoring the underlying problem.

[bhg481]

It strikes me that the railway unions have a solution to the lines being over-crowded; they just stop trains running.

[ToraToraTora]

Err you! I'm just addressing the ignorance before me.

[douglas9401]

Your unique view of the world and events therein remains intact.

Good for you for standing firm on that blustery wee patch of cloud cuckoo land.

[bednobs]

"Hence the general public, like the questioner here think that the time difference is the reason for doing it."
probably the name doesnt help!

[Zacs-Master]

Maybe it was you starting your thread with the incorrect statement that 'The half-baked plans to save a few minutes between 'the north' and London' which prompted the replies you've received?

You've appeared to be a tad overwrought this week, Doooogie. Anything wrong?

[ToraToraTora]

doug: "The half-baked plans to save a few minutes between 'the north' and London may not reach, errr, London. " - that ignorant statement has been comprehensively demolished, you are looking like wally, stop digging.

[Zacs-Master]

Steady, Tora, we'll be a 'clique' if you're not careful!

[New Judge]

**Breaking News**

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has confirmed that HS2 will terminate at Euston:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64421566

So that's largely put the kybosh on it, then.

"Jeremy Hunt said he did not "see any conceivable circumstances" why it would "not end up at Euston"."

Of course, he didn't say when that might happen. It begs the question: what do they intend to do with the massive holes that have appeared all around Euston station:

https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/inside-hs2s-huge-euston-construction-site-48428/