HS2 - do you think it should be built? (2 Viewers)

Should HS2 be built?


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Jan 24, 2020
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You only need to look at Crossrail (Elizabeth Line) to know that HS2 will be delayed time and time again and then eventually be scrapped. Complete waste of money and destructive to the environment.

There are more pressing concerns at the moment with our situation, the recession has certainly delayed the construction of HS2.

Could I introduce to you Gareth Dennis?

 

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Jan 24, 2020
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ngl there are already High speed railways that go to Birmingham/Manchester/leeds so having this railway should be the least of our problems and I dont think many people would feel safe on a train going 220 MPH

I do not call the WCML and ECML high speed lines anymore. Also do you notice how overcrowded the commuter trains are? HS2 will help to ease that by freeing up paths on those routes and with the free paths more commuter and regional trains can be put on as well as more freight trains

 
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Jan 24, 2020
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Let's not forget the big red flag of HS2 going millions of pounds over budget on more than one occasion. It's now gone over budget by at least a billion pounds because the Gov. "underestimated its complexity and risk." HS2 is over budget and behind schedule, says new report

The budget issue isn't new to the debate about HS2 but wouldn't it cost far more to "invest in the existing railway"? Just saying
 

Matty_T_98

Casual Observer
Mar 6, 2017
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I know it isn't new that's why my opening line was " Let's not forget". Going with that isn't everything said against HS2 not new to the debate?? Not being new to the debate isn't really a good counter arguement. The original budget for HS2 was estimated between £30.9 billion and £36 billion the new estimate is now between £80.7 billion and £88.7 billion. Depending on where it is spent e.g. Just the mainline networks or the entire network as a whole. I doubt that it would cost far more than that to invest in the current network. Like many ideas, not just railway related, HS2 seems like a good idea on paper but only time will tell if it's a waste of time or not.
 

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Apr 16, 2016
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Personally I would have the money spent on lots of smaller projects such as Derby remodeling and the London to Corby electrification and 4 tracking between Bedford and Kettering but I do appreciate that the mainlines are becoming a bit full (Both the WCML, ECML and you could say about every other main line at peak times) so HS2 will offload some of the capacity from these lines but I probably wouldn't do it as a pure High Speed line from buffer to buffer so to speak.

Instead I would go for a approach more like France and Germany where the High Speed lines start away from the city centers and the trains use the same lines as the slower speed Intercity/regional trains at the main stations. While this may slow the trains down a bit it would allow for future growth (by new routes or re-routing current services like some of the Cross Country routes) and more flexibility in the service say for engineering works or disruption.
 
Jan 24, 2020
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I know it isn't new that's why my opening line was " Let's not forget". Going with that isn't everything said against HS2 not new to the debate?? Not being new to the debate isn't really a good counter arguement. The original budget for HS2 was estimated between £30.9 billion and £36 billion the new estimate is now between £80.7 billion and £88.7 billion. Depending on where it is spent e.g. Just the mainline networks or the entire network as a whole. I doubt that it would cost far more than that to invest in the current network. Like many ideas, not just railway related, HS2 seems like a good idea on paper but only time will tell if it's a waste of time or not.

Of course we do have people in central government who don't know how to budget things

Personally I would have the money spent on lots of smaller projects such as Derby remodeling and the London to Corby electrification and 4 tracking between Bedford and Kettering but I do appreciate that the mainlines are becoming a bit full (Both the WCML, ECML and you could say about every other main line at peak times) so HS2 will offload some of the capacity from these lines but I probably wouldn't do it as a pure High Speed line from buffer to buffer so to speak.

Instead I would go for a approach more like France and Germany where the High Speed lines start away from the city centers and the trains use the same lines as the slower speed Intercity/regional trains at the main stations. While this may slow the trains down a bit it would allow for future growth (by new routes or re-routing current services like some of the Cross Country routes) and more flexibility in the service say for engineering works or disruption.

The whole point of HS2 is to free up capacity on the existing railway and also HS2 although it will be broadly a buffer to buffer route, it will be able to connect to conventional lines through the use of cords/connections (similar to on HS1 (High Speed 1)) so that services will be able to run to other destinations (i.e. Glasgow) where HS2 won't be built up to
 

ROBLOX Bus Simulators

Founder of TMT and Project Merseyside
Jun 18, 2017
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The fact that they're spending over £100 billion on HS2 and only 50 million on Coronavirus tests is concerning.. I don't have many issues with HS2 itself but couldn't they wait until this corona thing is over? I'd think spending the money on getting covid sorted would be more suitable
 
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iomex

UKDT
Dec 10, 2015
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I was against HS2 for a number of reasons - environmental, economical, operational... but now that it has already started, I think it would be financially disastrous to call it off now. Millions has already been spent, and one would presume there are severe penalties to pay if the project were to be cancelled. Moreover, the project is supporting many desperately needed construction jobs - especially after the industry has been decimated over the past few years.

We're here, and I think that going forwards, there ought to be many conditions places on the railway and train operators in order to return as much as possible to local transport (which this project has stolen from, in effect).

Just imagine what £100bn could have done if it were turned over to local bus subsidies, light rail projects, or local transport infrastructure upgrades? HS2 ought to pour money back there.
 
Jan 24, 2020
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The fact that they're spending over £100 billion on HS2 and only 50 million on Coronavirus tests is concerning.. I don't have many issues with HS2 itself but couldn't they wait until this corona thing is over? I'd think spending the money on getting covid sorted would be more suitable

Again central government not having a clue on how to finance things

I was against HS2 for a number of reasons - environmental, economical, operational... but now that it has already started, I think it would be financially disastrous to call it off now. Millions has already been spent, and one would presume there are severe penalties to pay if the project were to be cancelled. Moreover, the project is supporting many desperately needed construction jobs - especially after the industry has been decimated over the past few years.

One of those severe penalties would be once we get back to normal, train's will start to be overcrowded again and people will start complaining about capacity issues so it's really a "catch 22" situation

We're here, and I think that going forwards, there ought to be many conditions places on the railway and train operators in order to return as much as possible to local transport (which this project has stolen from, in effect).

As mentioned above HS2 will free up capacity on the existing railway for more local, commuter, regional and freight trains

Just imagine what £100bn could have done if it were turned over to local bus subsidies, light rail projects, or local transport infrastructure upgrades? HS2 ought to pour money back there.

The bus network is operated by private companies on behalf of PTEs.... But I get what you mean

Light rail would be great for towns/cities where there is no proper commuter rail line or "metro" system

Central government should be investing in transport projects outside of London
 
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