Potential New Ground

[Sarge]

Difference between the HS2 and the east west rail link, m40 is the hs2 doesn't have any benefit to the local area.

does the East-West rail link have much in the way of genuine benefit for the local area?

 

[OX14]

does the East-West rail link have much in the way of genuine benefit for the local area?

Of course it does, unlike the HS2 it actually connects local towns together by a rail link.

 

[Sarge]

Of course it does, unlike the HS2 it actually connects local towns together by a rail link.

Cheers for that- I wasnt aware that East West rail link was for people, wrongly assumed it was in the main for 'goods' transport

... a friend of mine lives in one of the oxon/ bucks border villages, which is frequently near isolated /village bound, due to HS2 & East-West rail closing roads out of the village ( often both rail construction projects closing roads at the same time)

 

[windmill]

Some cracking posts on this thread. I think it has a fair amount of mileage in it yet.

 

[Whingit]

Surely nothing will be announced before the local elections?

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Time to grow some and halt it. Just because you've wasted a lot of money is not really a reason to waste billions more.

Indeed. It was Boris who decided to go balls-deep with the project last year, because this type of White Elephant vanity project really trips his trigger.

Some kind of misguided "putting the Great back into Great Britain" folly that actually leaves most scratching their heads.

I am all for infrastructure projects providing good jobs, but when there is so little benefit, compared to many smaller projects that could benefit local communities, you have to wonder what drives this kind of mentality.

 

[Yellowmania]

They've already cancelled the Oxford to Cambridge express way.

Which is great news for where I live, we’ve already got HS2 & EW Rail. I really struggle to comprehend though that they spent £28m to come up with the notion it’s a crap idea. Love to see someone explain what the £28m was spent on!

 

[ljs]

Cheers for that- I wasnt aware that East West rail link was for people, wrongly assumed it was in the main for 'goods' transport

... a friend of mine lives in one of the oxon/ bucks border villages, which is frequently near isolated /village bound, due to HS2 & East-West rail closing roads out of the village ( often both rail construction projects closing roads at the same time)

Also, isn't the East-West rail link mainly re-using the line of the previous route closed in the sixties? And, not ploughing up ancient woodland etc?

 

[OUFCGav]

Well nothing like the damage done by the M40. I don’t recall much fuss about that

There were quite a lot of protests, it was re-routed to avoid Otmoor due to one of them.

 

[Sarge]

Also, isn't the East-West rail link mainly re-using the line of the previous route closed in the sixties? And, not ploughing up ancient woodland etc?

probably so ... though a very old bridge is being demolished to accommodate it, Im reliably told

 

[OUFCGav]

Indeed. It was Boris who decided to go balls-deep with the project last year, because this type of White Elephant vanity project really trips his trigger.

Some kind of misguided "putting the Great back into Great Britain" folly that actually leaves most scratching their heads.

I am all for infrastructure projects providing good jobs, but when there is so little benefit, compared to many smaller projects that could benefit local communities, you have to wonder what drives this kind of mentality.

as you say - vanity.
Boris Island airport, the garden bridge, new routemaster buses, bridge to France, the bridge to link Scotland and Ireland (going over a trench filled with WW2 explosives), the tunnel linking Scotland to Ireland.....he def likes to spaff money up the wall on big things.

 

[Malc]

Also, isn't the East-West rail link mainly re-using the line of the previous route closed in the sixties? And, not ploughing up ancient woodland etc?

I sincerely hope so. In my teenage years I often travelled with a mate up to London with the train via Bletchley. All for the price of a platform ticket, 3 old pence. Always travelled in non-corridor trains, no ticket control. Oh sweet innocent me.

 

[werthersoriginal]

There were quite a lot of protests, it was re-routed to avoid Otmoor due to one of them.

Yes you’re right, I remember. It still cuts a massive and spectacular hole through the Chilterns - HS2 won’t be be anything like as invasive, though the jury is out on its benefits.

 

[Essexyellows]

Ahhh the "Ancient Woodland" argument, much as I oppose HS2 this is not true and that can be found on t`interweb.

"As a result of design refinement, the whole HS2 route from London to Leeds and Manchester will impact on less than 0.01 per cent – of the UK’s ancient woodland.
The proposed Lower Thames Crossing motorway will impact on about as much ancient woodland as HS2 (54 hectares versus 58 hectares), yet it is only 14 miles long, compared to HS2’s 470 miles."

The "why" it is being built is to take high speed trains OFF of local networks, ergo it doesn`t need to connect cities and towns.

By segregating high speed trains onto their own line, the current mixture of slow and fast services that actually constrain capacity is stopped.
That allows the remaining services to bunch up more closely together.
This enables a doubling or tripling of capacity for the remaining services.
So you get a more frequent local service to an HS2 station and then whizz off to where ever.......... or work from home on super fast fibre!!!

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Ahhh the "Ancient Woodland" argument, much as I oppose HS2 this is not true and that can be found on t`interweb.

"As a result of design refinement, the whole HS2 route from London to Leeds and Manchester will impact on less than 0.01 per cent – of the UK’s ancient woodland.
The proposed Lower Thames Crossing motorway will impact on about as much ancient woodland as HS2 (54 hectares versus 58 hectares), yet it is only 14 miles long, compared to HS2’s 470 miles."

The "why" it is being built is to take high speed trains OFF of local networks, ergo it doesn`t need to connect cities and towns.

By segregating high speed trains onto their own line, the current mixture of slow and fast services that actually constrain capacity is stopped.
That allows the remaining services to bunch up more closely together.
This enables a doubling or tripling of capacity for the remaining services.
So you get a more frequent local service to an HS2 station and then whizz off to where ever.......... or work from home on super fast fibre!!!

I see you've got the turd polish out again[emoji23]

 

[Coffin dodger]

I see you've got the turd polish out again[emoji23]

It's all in the Tory brainwashing literature.

 

[Essexyellows]

I see you've got the turd polish out again[emoji23]

Do your own research if you must but it is a fact.

I also said I was opposed to HS2, pragmatism supersedes that though. I can`t change it, it will happen.

Irrespective of Government....it was Labour started the ball rolling.

 

[Essexyellows]

It's all in the Tory brainwashing literature.

Best you`ve got?

Look it up..... its a fact.

England has 52,000 ancient woodland sites. 43 are affected by HS2 between London and Crewe, of which over 80% will remain intact.

Many of the oft cited 100+ are 500 metres or more away from the route, HS2 (us!) are putting £7 million into a Woodland Fund to replace the small amount lost as well as planting 7 million trees to connect current woodlands.

 

[ljs]

By segregating high speed trains onto their own line, the current mixture of slow and fast services that actually constrain capacity is stopped.
That allows the remaining services to bunch up more closely together.
This enables a doubling or tripling of capacity for the remaining services.
So you get a more frequent local service to an HS2 station and then whizz off to where ever.......... or work from home on super fast fibre!!!

Where are these suitable HS2 stations between Birmingham and London? I didn't think there were any (correct me if I'm wrong). So, how does it really benefit anyone living between the two cities? Not sure where the 'wherever' is.... Brum or London?

If its the high speed trains causing current capacity issues, then just take them off to get more frequent local services [emoji846]

 

[ljs]

Do your own research if you must but it is a fact.

I also said I was opposed to HS2, pragmatism supersedes that though. I can`t change it, it will happen.

Irrespective of Government....it was Labour started the ball rolling.

Pragmatism definition... if you wasted billions already, then its a good idea to waste further billions?