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Yeah, I’m scratching my head at the British press laughing at them over this, but seemingly not giving two tiny damns that HS2 is now between £4,000,000,000 and

Yeah, I’m scratching my head at the British press laughing at them over this, but seemingly not giving two tiny damns that HS2 is now between £4,000,000,000 and £66,000,000,000 over budget depending on whose figures you trust, and counting.

panick21_ 4y ago
British Press has been on HS2 quite a bit. Specially when you compare it to the endless highway expansion, those don't get criticized.
- madaxe_again 4y ago
  True - RIS2 is also running £3,000,000,000 over the £25,000,000,000 budget — while also somehow saying that they can’t spend all of the budget on time. It’s a nonsensical state of affairs. https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/153/transport-committee/news/175205/inquiry-launched-into-strategic-road-investment-in-england/ https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/153/transport-com... https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/transport-bosses-admit-budget-for-new-roads-projects-is-very-limited-due-to-major-overruns-02-02-2023/ https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/transport-bosses-adm...
  - panick21_ 4y ago
    Reduce the high way budget by 90% and invest add the Leeds part of HS2 back. HS2 is 100+ year infrastructure that massively improves the complete rail network of all of England and will allow England to go from backwards in terms of trains to having a fantastic overall network. England is perfect for High Speed Rail, and rail in general. What they are missing is a few more Crossrail style projects (or S-Bahn style as we call it) in cities other then London, and more Crossrail in London. I am advocating the same in Switzerland. We already have a great rail network, but one High Speed Line right across the major population part can improve overall rail infrastructure by a huge amount. Switzerland has rail modal share of ~20% and with a new high speed line and a host of other things, that could be raised to 30-40%. The capacity you gain on all the old lines for regional and cargo travel is huge.
    - madaxe_again 4y ago
      I support HS2 in principle, but the practical outcome is dire - they are having trouble securing rolling stock, and it looks like due to noise concerns they’re only going to run something like four (diesel) trains a day on it, at 60kph - and then they’ll declare it unprofitable and beeching it, most likely. This is just how public infrastructure projects in the U.K. work, I’m afraid.
      - panick21_ 4y ago
        I don't believe that. If the lines that get built they will 100% not run diesel trains on it and it will run as often as planned. At least after a few years. And if a project is done for the next 100+ years, then a few years lower utilization isn't a big deal. Seems to me all the claims made about how it will fall short and be barley better then a old Victorian line is scare mongering to devalue the project and discredit the benefits it gives. What is really sad is that the Greens are against it, what utter idiots. Hopefully you can elect some government that actually gets behind the project fully again. > and then they’ll declare it unprofitable and beeching it, most likely I don't believe that. NetworkRail was unprofitable, made public still exists. Franchise, unprofitable, made public again still exist. So the idea of these lines simply going away isn't really credible.

panick21_ 4y ago

British Press has been on HS2 quite a bit. Specially when you compare it to the endless highway expansion, those don't get criticized.

madaxe_again 4y ago
True - RIS2 is also running £3,000,000,000 over the £25,000,000,000 budget — while also somehow saying that they can’t spend all of the budget on time. It’s a nonsensical state of affairs. https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/153/transport-committee/news/175205/inquiry-launched-into-strategic-road-investment-in-england/ https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/153/transport-com... https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/transport-bosses-admit-budget-for-new-roads-projects-is-very-limited-due-to-major-overruns-02-02-2023/ https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/transport-bosses-adm...
- panick21_ 4y ago
  Reduce the high way budget by 90% and invest add the Leeds part of HS2 back. HS2 is 100+ year infrastructure that massively improves the complete rail network of all of England and will allow England to go from backwards in terms of trains to having a fantastic overall network. England is perfect for High Speed Rail, and rail in general. What they are missing is a few more Crossrail style projects (or S-Bahn style as we call it) in cities other then London, and more Crossrail in London. I am advocating the same in Switzerland. We already have a great rail network, but one High Speed Line right across the major population part can improve overall rail infrastructure by a huge amount. Switzerland has rail modal share of ~20% and with a new high speed line and a host of other things, that could be raised to 30-40%. The capacity you gain on all the old lines for regional and cargo travel is huge.
  - madaxe_again 4y ago
    I support HS2 in principle, but the practical outcome is dire - they are having trouble securing rolling stock, and it looks like due to noise concerns they’re only going to run something like four (diesel) trains a day on it, at 60kph - and then they’ll declare it unprofitable and beeching it, most likely. This is just how public infrastructure projects in the U.K. work, I’m afraid.
    - panick21_ 4y ago
      I don't believe that. If the lines that get built they will 100% not run diesel trains on it and it will run as often as planned. At least after a few years. And if a project is done for the next 100+ years, then a few years lower utilization isn't a big deal. Seems to me all the claims made about how it will fall short and be barley better then a old Victorian line is scare mongering to devalue the project and discredit the benefits it gives. What is really sad is that the Greens are against it, what utter idiots. Hopefully you can elect some government that actually gets behind the project fully again. > and then they’ll declare it unprofitable and beeching it, most likely I don't believe that. NetworkRail was unprofitable, made public still exists. Franchise, unprofitable, made public again still exist. So the idea of these lines simply going away isn't really credible.