HS2, whats the current status ?

[J4CKO]

Is this actually getting built, was looking at the Phase 2 and it seems like pie in the sky, it involves massive tunnelling projects under south Manchester, is that ever going to happen ?

Has it started anywhere else yet ?

[J4CKO]

Has anything actually been done, is it still at the consultation stage.

Is it me or do other countries decide on building something, then just get on with it ?

[J4CKO]

BlackLabel said:

"The high-speed railway known as HS2 has cost more than £2bn of public money even before the legislation to build it has been passed by parliament."

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/2bn-spent-a...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3795113/Co...

"The newspaper also reported how HS2 had splashed out on a 'ridiculous' number of ecology and wildlife surveys. One farmer, Robert Brown, said he had been visited 46 times since January - at a cost of £200-£300 each time."

That is comical, it will never happen will it ?

[J4CKO]

My mother in law lives near the proposed route of PH2 not far for the Manchester airport, she has a nice property and isnt planning on moving at the moment but has mentioned it as it is quite a place to maintain but I guess she is stuck really, cant imagine it will be easy to sell at the market price and it looks like its ages off her being able to claim anything.

[J4CKO]

3 Years and 5 months since starting the thread, has anything happened ?

Other countries seem to just crack on, a roundabout near where I live has been subject to roadworks as long as this thread, why does stuff take so long.

I wasn't expecting it to be finished, maybe some clarity on whether it will happen, but like Brexit, confusion seems the only thing getting built.

[J4CKO]

Vocal Minority said:

J4CKO said:

3 Years and 5 months since starting the thread, has anything happened ?

Other countries seem to just crack on, a roundabout near where I live has been subject to roadworks as long as this thread, why does stuff take so long.

I wasn't expecting it to be finished, maybe some clarity on whether it will happen, but like Brexit, confusion seems the only thing getting built.

Because - happily - it is very difficult to forcibly make someone sell their land in the United Kingdom. I know people will harp on about the greater good etc etc - but they generally aren't the one's being dispossessed of their property. It's very easy to tell people to take something for the team when it isn't you taking it for the team.

In theory there IS clarity that it will happen. Property is getting bought, they have the powers to build it, the contractors are all doing the detailed design and methodology and spades are even in the ground in Euston.

There is plenty of clarity if people choose to accept it.

Cheers, understood.

[J4CKO]

Talksteer said:

PositronicRay said:

Sheepshanks said:

PositronicRay said:

Talksteer said:

An eVTOL will mass around 1000kg, seat 4 people, be made of CF, have around 500bhp of electric motors and 80kwh of batteries. It will be produced at volumes of around 4-5000 per year.

You do realise that 1 bhp is about 0.7 KW. You are Diane Abbott, aren't you.

15 minute flights could be quite interesting!

Range anxiety could be thing, not just for the passengers but those on the ground too!

As I just said:

IT IS NOT A FLYING CAR!

You do not take to the air without sufficient energy on board for the flight plus margins. This will be operated only by competent organisations.

In eVTOL as the plane can take off and land (in emergencies) from any flat piece of land the size of a tennis court those margins can actually be reasonably tight compared to current aircraft which are very limited in locations to land.

Doesnt a Jet Pack require 1000 bhp, or whatever that equates to in thrust to lift one average sized person ?

Stuff like a Cesna 172 makes do with 160 bhp but relies on forward motion and lift from the wings rather than pure thrust, would 500 bhp do the job ?

[J4CKO]

Blue62 said:

Grant Shapps has just announced that the project will be 5 or 6 years late. No detail on exactly why it seems, just references to the overspend, so presumably it's to do with review.

Part of me thinks he just preparing the ground for it getting binned altogether at the end of the month.

How do other countries do it ? huge networks of high speed rail ? is it due to us being a bit cramped in comparison to say France ?

[J4CKO]

Good job the Victorians didnt bail out in creating the original rail architecture.

Some stuff goes deeper than short term plans being thwarted by a virus, not commenting on whether it is the right thing to do but at some point this current situation will be over and life will continue, not for everybody and we will be reeling from this for some time to come.

But, what humans do is overcome, previous pandemics, war, etc etc, it isnt going to wipe out all 66 million in this country, and population wise, not even a blip really even if the worst estimates are correct.

[J4CKO]

Amateurish said:

s2art said:

Condi said:

Did anyone see that Europe are proposing a transcontinental high speed rail network linking capital cities and major towns, as an economic boost and also to reduce carbon emissions, encouraging people to travel by train than plane?

Reduce carbon emissions? Probably but its not clear. Depends on occupancy and how the electricity is generated. Jet engines are pretty efficient. Like to see the maths when using real world figures.

Are you joking? A French TGV uses about 3g of CO2 per km. A short haul plane, about 80g.

Indeed, I think the need to haul itself up to 36,000 feet has a bit of a knock on in the fuel economy figures.

[J4CKO]

TeaNoSugar said:

Coming as a surprise to virtually nobody; the Birmingham - Notts - Sheff-Leeds leg of HS2 has been scrapped.

Phase 1 looks absolutely certain (I’ve been working on enabling works projects since 2017). It would be madness to take it as far as Crewe and then not link to Manchester, but the Eastern Leg always looked unlikely (IMO).

Interesting to see what replaces it. My guess is something underwhelming involving significantly less money.

HS2 Bus replacement service ?