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High Speed Train Route Announced
Ethel_Fred
Posts: 34,127 Forum Member
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8221540.stm
Looks as if it basically a new West Coast Main line.
Assuming that it does come to fruition may I suggest that they start building it from the north to the south as that would encourage future governments to complete it rather than abandoning it after a couple legs made and it provides more initial benefit that a high speed line London to Birmingham.
I'd also suggest that it goes via Heathrow removing the need for the 3rd runway - it could then use Crossrail into London connecting into the Eurostar at Stratford
Looks as if it basically a new West Coast Main line.
Assuming that it does come to fruition may I suggest that they start building it from the north to the south as that would encourage future governments to complete it rather than abandoning it after a couple legs made and it provides more initial benefit that a high speed line London to Birmingham.
I'd also suggest that it goes via Heathrow removing the need for the 3rd runway - it could then use Crossrail into London connecting into the Eurostar at Stratford
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Personally I can't see it ever happening.
It could be a prime bit of Keynsian stimulation, if they hadn't already announced the trains will be Japanese. :eek::mad:
It's exactly what we need (so long as it is AFFORDABLE!) but it's tragic we didn't do it years ago.
As you say - I can't imagine where the money will come from.
Probably through a combination of levying the rail companies and taxation. It doesn't necessarily mean extra taxation though. Spread over 20 years it could come from the existing budget of the Transport department.
I see that eastern England is once more totally ignored in favour of cities that already have substantial transport links.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8561286.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2010/mar/11/high-speed-rail-plans-liveblog
According to other reports the initial route is defined to within 25 metres
DFT High Speed Rail Summary - including maps - interesting there is a link into Crossrail and Heathrow, though it's interesting that once north of Leeds / Manchester the time saving remains constant at 1 hour which suggests there won't be high speed north of Leeds / Manchester
The reverse is not so appealing.
Nope the London to Birmingham bit ploughs straight through the Chilterns, hence environmentalists and those living there are opposed to it.
Why on earth can it not run alongside the current Euston-Birmingham line?
They might even be able to divert it through the middle of Milton Keynes, requiring mass demolition, which would be a huge benefit.
I agree and that is exactly what Buckinghamshire County Council are pressing to happen.
One quote from a member of the council is "We have more lawyers per square mile in Buckinghamshire than any other county and we will fight this tooth and nail."
Which does nothing to address the stupid number of internal flights, to Manchester in particular, we have.
Top work DfT
The Western Line has: London, Birmingham, Pennines to Manchester, the East Midlands, Sheffield and Leeds as well as to Liverpool, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The Eastern line doesn't have as many needy cities.
Surely if they just stuck another 1p on basic rate income tax, that'd cover £34bn over ten years?
I though it was over 20 years but anyway I'm sure everyone living in the rest of England and Wales will be delighted to pay for something they get sod all for.
Why is it "half-arsed"? It's a full plan, with prioritisation - like all good plans.
Ah, yes. Because economic infrastructure only benefits people withing a 10-mile wide corridor of it?
Of course it has benefits for people in Wales and the rest of England - the point is schemes like this improve mobility, which generates inward investment from foreign countries, which generates tax revenue for the treasury, which means less tax requirements from individuals, which means more local economic activity.
You've got to invest to accrue.
Sheffield, Leeds and Newscastle-upon-Tyne aren't linked by this.
It should be built as vertical integration with say, a 50 year minimum operating franchise.
Are there really enough people in Aberdeen to justify that distance though? It has to pay for itself (which they have calculated the current plan should by a factor of over 2:1)
Well I fail to see how those for example living in the west of England or Wales will benefit enough to want to pay an extra 1p on their income tax that you suggested.
I assume all the claimed benefits you list are included in the business case for this project or are they just suppositions as none of the reports mention any cold hard facts.
Agreed.