HS2, whats the current status ?

[P5BNij]

Amateurish said:

P5BNij said:

Regarding the Oxford - Cambridge route, there's currently a lot of work going on with the Bletchley flyover so something is afoot. It's been a while since I took a train up it but as I understand it there's a possibility of having two short platforms built onto the sides of it at some point, it's a bit of a squeeze but do-able.

East - West rail has been on the cards for years. But it keeps getting pushed back and downgraded.

Irony alert : the most recent bit of upgrading of the existing route between Bletchley and Bedford has sometimes caused a slowing down in the normal flow of traffic, the colour light signalling and twelve level crossings now controlled from a central panel at Ridgemont make anything other than the existing stopping service almost pointless. The barriers are almost always raised for rail traffic at the last possible minute, so you're constantly driving along the route with single yellow and red signal aspects! It's very rare to get greens and a clear path along the full length of the line, despite the 60mph line speed upgrade.

[robinessex]

HS2 review criticised by deputy chair of panel

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50280270

Opponents of the HS2 high-speed railway linking London and the north of England say the government's review of the project is set to be a whitewash.
The deputy chair of the HS2 review panel, Labour peer Lord Berkeley, says he has been given no opportunity to influence the final report.
He is a vocal critic of the project.
The government says it has been clear no panel member would have a veto, and that it would be inappropriate to pre-empt the recommendations of the review.
'Locked in a vault'?
Lord Berkeley also speculated that publication of the review has been put on hold until after the general election and the appointment of a secretary of state for transport.
In a tweet, he said: "My role as dep chair of the Oakervee Report on HS2 finished yesterday. Report not finished and no opportunity to influence conclusions.
"We are told that, when completed by Doug O [Oakervee] and the DfT secretariat, it will be locked into the DfT vaults for the new S of S [secretary of state] to publish."............continues

[Sheepshanks]

With both main parties suggesting they're going to be spending loads of money surely there's no chance of HS2 being cancelled in the near future?

[abzmike]

Sheepshanks said:

With both main parties suggesting they're going to be spending loads of money surely there's no chance of HS2 being cancelled in the near future?

The review being underway gives them a convenient way to avoid talking about HS2 as its awkward for both of them.

[Digga]

abzmike said:

Sheepshanks said:

With both main parties suggesting they're going to be spending loads of money surely there's no chance of HS2 being cancelled in the near future?

The review being underway gives them a convenient way to avoid talking about HS2 as its awkward for both of them.

The Oakervee review recommends HS2 should go ahead, in full:

https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/h...

Edited by Digga on Tuesday 12th November 10:36

[TeaNoSugar]

abzmike said:

Sheepshanks said:

With both main parties suggesting they're going to be spending loads of money surely there's no chance of HS2 being cancelled in the near future?

The review being underway gives them a convenient way to avoid talking about HS2 as its awkward for both of them.

Could get very awkward then as the report has been leaked (with impeccable/awful timing depending on your POV) , and the recommendation is to go for it, in its entirety, even though it’ll go over budget. They’re going to have to commit one way or the other.

[popeyewhite]

Article: "In effect, big construction stands accused of seeking to line its pockets with HS2 and taxpayers' money"

Pigs at the trough.

[Digga]

popeyewhite said:

Article: "In effect, big construction stands accused of seeking to line its pockets with HS2 and taxpayers' money"

Pigs at the trough.

Agreed, the report says they have priced for risk they are not carrying, and I'd argue they have done this both up and down the chain. Hence why at least one plant firm which geared-up for the project (this is something which requires a huge amount of capital and cannot be done in an instant - it's not like ordering a fleet of vans for example) has already gone bust.

[g3org3y]

BBC said:

There is "overwhelming evidence" that the costs of HS2 are "out of control" and its benefits overstated, the deputy chair of its review panel has said.

Lord Berkeley said the high-speed rail line, linking London and northern England, is likely to cost over £108bn.

A vocal critic of HS2, the Labour peer said he believed MPs had been "misled" about the price - set at £55bn in 2015.

He has published a "dissenting report" on the project, but the government said it represented his personal view.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50995116

[Humble Pi]

Having worked on the railways for a period knowing how eye wateringly expensive it is to complete new engineering works, I said to my colleagues over a year ago that I’d be astounded if HS2 came in for completion under £120bn.

[robinessex]

robinessex said:

I said it'll goto £100bn

Looks as if I was correct again.

[hidetheelephants]

Without knowing the cost to the economy of not building it judgements of value are meaningless. The rail network is bursting so not building new lines isn't an option worth pondering, his option of upgrading existing lines already at bursting point suggest he needs to give his head a wobble if he thinks that will be meaningfully cheaper.

[PositronicRay]

Humble Pi said:

Having worked on the railways for a period knowing how eye wateringly expensive it is to complete new engineering works, I said to my colleagues over a year ago that I’d be astounded if HS2 came in for completion under £120bn.

Understating the costs are the only way to get a thing signed off.

From home renovation, self building, a new office, all the way up to civil engineering projects. I doubt we'd have the channel tunnel, crossrail or M25 with accurate costings.

[jakesmith]

robinessex said:

robinessex said:

I said it'll goto £100bn

Looks as if I was correct again.

‘like a broken calendar’

[robinessex]

jakesmith said:

robinessex said:

robinessex said:

I said it'll goto £100bn

Looks as if I was correct again.

‘like a broken calendar’

Is that supposed to be a meaningful contribution?

[lord trumpton]

They will finish up to Birmingham and then toss the north a bone in the form of a few more trains and improved reliability for existing lines imho

[lord trumpton]

The biggest scandal in my eyes is the aquisition of lots of 'cheap' London property on the back of it.

We sold ours to the 'HS2 NTS' scheme.

They buy below market, bring up to regulations, let them out for 10 years and then benefit from the likely increase in value once HS2 is a distant concern

[Sheepshanks]

lord trumpton said:

The biggest scandal in my eyes is the aquisition of lots of 'cheap' London property on the back of it.

I know it's not London, but quite close to me they gave John Bishop an astonishing £6.8M for his house that he paid a couple of million for a few years ago. That kind of house around here is always tough to sell and the values don't normally change much.

[jakesmith]

robinessex said:

jakesmith said:

robinessex said:

robinessex said:

I said it'll goto £100bn

Looks as if I was correct again.

‘like a broken calendar’

Is that supposed to be a meaningful contribution?

I would have said 'like a broken clock' which would have made more sense as it's a commonly used phrase, but it gives you far too much credit old chum, as they are right twice a day! Cheers!

[robinessex]

jakesmith said:

robinessex said:

jakesmith said:

robinessex said:

robinessex said:

I said it'll goto £100bn

Looks as if I was correct again.

‘like a broken calendar’

Is that supposed to be a meaningful contribution?

I would have said 'like a broken clock' which would have made more sense as it's a commonly used phrase, but it gives you far too much credit old chum, as they are right twice a day! Cheers!

Two useless and pointless posts now. An intelligent contribution?