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Cancelled HS2

Tony L said:
I see Labour are describing the u-turn as “the great train robbery”, which is rather good IMO.

PS A clip of Johnson has just been on Sky claiming he’ll “level-up the north to the commuter-grade network they enjoy in the south”. Translated from Tory lie-speak that means ‘crowded, late, stinking and absurdly overpriced’…
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And cancelled.
 
They should scrap the whole thing. Dreadful timing and in a covid world, becoming less relevant. Besides, the only people who’ll be able to afford to use it are those with company expense accounts.
 
Stuart Frazer said:
I think todays confirmation that the Eastern leg of HS2 is cancelled is desperately sad.
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It hasn't been cancelled just f****d up. It will run to East Midlands Parkway (pretty much the middle of nowhere except for the airport) and then split. They will upgrade the existing lines to Derby and Nottingham although major work upgrading started about a year ago at least on the Derby section so what is new I am not sure. In the absence of HS2 there is some sense to this although how much will depend on the details. What doesn't make sense is the third split where instead of completing killing the major hub at Toton (half way between Derby and Nottingham and making some sense as a major hub even if unpopular with the locals), they are talking about pressing on with a pointless local hub. I'm hoping this is just lies and nonsense from the usual suspects but if not it is hard to see how it could be done in a way that would be beneficial.
 
Ponty said:
They should scrap the whole thing. Dreadful timing and in a covid world, becoming less relevant. Besides, the only people who’ll be able to afford to use it are those with company expense accounts.
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We are far too much into the construction of HS2 Phase 1 to pull out of that now. It would waste billions and cost billions to reinstate, make good etc. I was hoping that it would be the same for phases 2a and 2b, but seemingly not. I have no doubt billions have already been wasted on the 2a/b procurement and enabling works to date. They should just bite the bullet and effing DO IT. After Phase 1, we have the momentum, the project team, the skilled labour etc. We just need a Government with the will to go through with it. But no, they want to try and squeeze more out of antiquated Victorian infrastructure, even after all the problems and cost runaways they encountered doing the same with the West Coast upgrades. Obviously no lessons have been learnt with that. Shambles!
 
Johnson The Lying Shit is on C4 News right now doing exactly what he does. An astonishing performance.
 
h.g. said:
It hasn't been cancelled just f****d up. It will run to East Midlands Parkway (pretty much the middle of nowhere except for the airport) and then split. They will upgrade the existing lines to Derby and Nottingham although major work upgrading started about a year ago at least on the Derby section so what is new I am not sure. In the absence of HS2 there is some sense to this although how much will depend on the details. What doesn't make sense is the third split where instead of completing killing the major hub at Toton (half way between Derby and Nottingham and making some sense as a major hub even if unpopular with the locals), they are talking about pressing on with a pointless local hub. I'm hoping this is just lies and nonsense from the usual suspects but if not it is hard to see how it could be done in a way that would be beneficial.
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I can't see the Gov resurrecting the Eastern Leg now scrapped at a later time now. There would be new legal challenges to overcome and I just can't see it happening in my lifetime now. It was a fantastic opportunity and would have benefitted the country for 100 years plus. There is far too much short-termism in Government - they only see each 5-year term to the next. Other countries just get on and do these huge infrastructure projects. We should be emulating the French TGV system, but there just isn't sufficient political will unless it is London/South East concentric.

Ponty said:
Besides, the only people who’ll be able to afford to use it are those with company expense accounts.
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Pricing has always been a concern for me, especially given our present railways ticket pricing model.
 
Tony L said:
Johnson The Lying Shit is on C4 News right now doing exactly what he does. An astonishing performance.
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I will have a watch later. I hope he was held to account by C4 and not allowed to lie his way out.

As per usual when under fire, I doubt any of the Government will be available for Newsnight later.
 
We know that the government has no shortage of cash, so the real reason for cancelling HS2 must be something else. Perhaps Johnson has run out of people to bung money to, or has Rees Mogg bought a property cheap because it was next to the proposed route?
 
puddlesplasher said:
No surprise then really. If levelling up was really a part of the Conservative mantra they should have started from the North to Birmingham and then onto London. No start from London to Birmingham and then cancel due to high costs.personally don’t think it should be built at all. They have left themselves open to being London centric and not caring about the North.
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If anyone seriously thought they gave a shit about anything north of Birmingham then they need their head examined. Tories do what Tories do... lie, lie and lie some more. I'm just bewildered as to why so many fall for it.
 
Stuart Frazer said:
Terminating at East Midlands Parkway is hardly the full Eastern Leg as promised. It's not the real North and HS2 won't now reach Sheffield, Leeds nor interface with the East Coast Mainline North of York. Infact East Coast Mainline now misses out all together. I therefore doubt that Newcastle, Durham and Darlington will see HS2. They promised so much and as usual, will deliver far too little.
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Not the real North? It is as seen from Westminster. Boris and his cronies don't even know where Sheffield and Leeds are.
Anyone with half a brain knew it wouldn't get to Leeds. If they were remotely interested they'd improve the Manchester Leeds line, which they haven't. Also, trams in Leeds? Don't make me laugh. That was happening 25 years ago and then canned permanently in about 2000.
Fxing clowns. If any of these tossers told me that it would get light tomorrow I'd get in extra lightbulbs.
 
ks.234 said:
We know that the government has no shortage of cash, so the real reason for cancelling HS2 must be something else. Perhaps Johnson has run out of people to bung money to, or has Rees Mogg bought a property cheap because it was next to the proposed route?
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Rees Mogg has bought Oxfordshire.
 
Stuart Frazer said:
I will have a watch later. I hope he was held to account by C4 and not allowed to lie his way out.
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He didn’t even make the slightest attempt to answer any question, just went straight into his usual random Bullingdon word salad, none of which bore any relation to any real world event. Deflect, evade, obfuscate, bluster, patronise.
 
Today has been a result for the people of my village. We are going to have the mother of all parties to celebrate. Thank you Boris for failing the North.

The line was due to run 100 metres from my house. I can sympathise with anyone adversely affected by HS2 especially the residents of that Mexborough housing estate linked to earlier. It has affected an awful lot of people emotionally and all for what?

I also own agricultural land that the line was due to cross. I got paid £1000 for surveys HS2 Ltd wanted to do. The surveys were never done. This will have happened the length of the Eastern leg. I am now going to spend that money on getting pissed. Thanks again Boris :p

See y'all in a week when I have spent €1000 on booze and fine dining.
 
I do think we need to improve connectivity within the north & reinstate some lines. HS2 makes no difference to me.

All these fools in red wall who voted Tory, ha ha.
 
HS2 wasn't ever going to get to the north of England no matter who you voted for. Anybody who thought an HS2 train would ever be arriving in Sheffield railway station is on drugs!
 
mik_rik said:
"I'm giving all the right answers - just not to the right questions"
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When Johnson is asked a question, we hear the question. What he hears is 'start talking now, any subject and as meaningless as you like as long you say the same thing repeatedly and emphatically.'
 
I was brought up within a few yards of the Great Central north of Nottm. It was criminally closed by Beeching. Some bollox about the tunnels being too low to electrify, which, from 60 years ago is possibly the lamest excuse in the history of excuses, considering that much of the present system is still not electrified. Also, the (admittedly numerous) tunnels through Nottm, were in soft 'Bunter' sandstone, which is very easily tunnelled, such that a bit of extra height could have been easily achieved. Given the will.
Brunel would be turning in his grave...

So now.. much discussion of 'East Midlands Parkway' etc.which to me is just some place in the middle of nowhere.

Meanwhile, I now live within a 15 minute drive of Rainhill, on the Liverpool to Manchester line. Edge Hill, the first stop out of Liverpool is I believe the oldest still operating passenger station in the World.
Yet the journey from Liverpool to Manchester takes an age, and getting on from there to Leeds or Hull..is a nightmare. I can't see how that line can be 'upgraded'.

With the single exception of London to the South West.. cross country routes have been shit for a century and this Govt. is doing nothing to remedy that.
 
The Victorian rail network is a complete mess as it was created by speculators, all trying to reach London. The survivors often made little sense and they never wanted to link to rival networks, which is why you cannot easily go East-West in the North and cannot go North-South in the West.

Meanwhile BJs chums will make a lot of money for doing nothing from the cancellation. Fat penalties I should think.
 
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