HS2 - Cancel it now

[Manchester33]

The money they invested into HS2 could have been spent on a hyperloop system that would have been greener, quicker and more cost-effective. A project of this size should be forward-thinking, not based on transport that was conceptualised centuries ago. I also believe technology can reduce the number of people 'commuting' between major cities. Why spend £'s and valuable time sending employees all around the country, when you can hold meetings using video conferences or encourage working from home seamlessly.

I'm certain that 'going to work' will become a thing of the past. There are so many benefits to working from home, especially in the tertiary sector.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

There are so many benefits to working from home, especially in the wanking sector.

 

[inbetween]

The money they invested into HS2 could have been spent on a hyperloop system that would have been greener, quicker and more cost-effective. A project of this size should be forward-thinking, not based on transport that was conceptualised centuries ago. I also believe technology can reduce the number of people 'commuting' between major cities. Why spend £'s and valuable time sending employees all around the country, when you can hold meetings using video conferences or encourage working from home seamlessly.

I'm certain that 'going to work' will become a thing of the past. There are so many benefits to working from home, especially in the tertiary sector.

Hyperloop is still an unproven technology and building underground would definitely cost more. Eurotunnel cost around £12 billion in todays money 30 years ago and it is only 30 miles long.

The future I think is to get the rail network working again which means more electrified lines and more high quality affordable services.

When I was a lad (20 years ago) I remember going to city with my dad on knackered Northern Rail diesel trains and they are STILL using them. Yet, the powers that be are talking of fancy trains that get us to London an hour quicker??

I think rail will certainly become the major talking point once Brexit subsides and something will need to be done. I don't like it personally but nationalisation may be the only answer.

 

[joe123]

Hyperloop is still an unproven technology and building underground would definitely cost more. Eurotunnel cost around £12 billion in todays money 30 years ago and it is only 30 miles long.

The future I think is to get the rail network working again which means more electrified lines and more high quality affordable services.

When I was a lad (20 years ago) I remember going to city with my dad on knackered Northern Rail diesel trains and they are STILL using them. Yet, the powers that be are talking of fancy trains that get us to London an hour quicker??

I think rail will certainly become the major talking point once Brexit subsides and something will need to be done. I don't like it personally but nationalisation may be the only answer.

Agree - the current 2ish hours to Manchester, Leeds, Preston isn’t bad at all and the money would be better used improving the shit network elsewhere in the north

 

[Kinkladze 1]

Absolute clusterfuck. Heads should, but won’t, roll.

 

[Blue Mist]

If Boris really wanted to win hearts and minds of Northern voters he would ensure a Liverpool-Manchester-Leeds-Newcastle electrified rail line as a matter of urgency. If that meant sacking off some or all of this pie in the sky money pit that is HS2 so be it.

 

[inbetween]

Agree - the current 2ish hours to Manchester, Leeds, Preston isn’t bad at all and the money would be better used improving the shit network elsewhere in the north

I live near Preston and it takes over 2hrs to get to York and it's only 95 miles or so, it's even quicker to drive there.

The train to London is the same time but three times the distance!

Ridiculous really.

 

[joe123]

I live near Preston and it takes over 2hrs to get to York and it's only 95 miles or so, it's even quicker to drive there.

The train to London is the same time but three times the distance!

Ridiculous really.

Was back in the North West myself this weekend having moved to London years ago. 2hr45 minutes to visit my folks in Blackpool on a pleasant enough train - pretty good. Then a trip over to Manchester on Saturday to see old mates, on a shit train, 1hr 20 minutes - crap experience. Surely it's that type of journey that needs bringing up to scratch before being able to get in and out of London a bit quicker.

 

[BrianW]

Decades of neglect and mistaken cuts have left the northern railway system in a parlous state. Try going to Sheffield. Three trains an hour, three different companies, with ticket restrictions if you want to pay a sensible price. Trains busy at best - at times so packed you literally cannot get on.

This is going to take an awful lot of investment to put right and I'll believe it when I see it. As for HS2 we have insufficient capacity on the route(s) to London, the question is how best to resolve it. I'm not sure plastering the existing routes is the answer. It's already been done to a point. If you're going to build a new route, does it make sense to make it no faster than the existing? Maybe it does, but it still won't get built for 50p and it will still mean houses being flattened and fields being dug up and so on.

 

[Ian Paisley]

if you look at the western main line from london to the north west it has a junction south of northampton. it creates a loop that goes through northampton and rejoins near rugby. this creates a parcel of land inside the loop . this is going to be a huge distribution centre where freight will transfer from road to rail. the plans are in and phase one has the go ahead. this would mean current main line services would be held up by freight traffic.this main line is full to capacity without the freight, this is why I think hs2 will go ahead.