HS2 goes ahead

[Mickey]

Deleted

[PGBerrie]

Does this count as a monorail? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuppertal_Schwebebahn. English idea too, as was maglev (Eric Laithwaite and the linear motor).

Regarding energy use on high-speed systems, the DB ICE trains put power back in the line when they go downhill and brake, so high-speed running is not as energy consuming as it seems.

Peter

[60800]

Blimey thats a bit of a joke the once mighty Japanese MONORAIL reduced to a 'Disneyland freakshow' attraction.

Disneyland feakshow attraction?

I think you might be confused. I was referring to the fact that the Birmingham airport transport system isn't exactly as 'top notch' as the disney system.

[Bill Bedford]

I use rail a lot for travel as I don't currently drive so in my cases it's my only option, but I can't see the point in this when the current London-Birmingham service isn't exactly slow, personally i'd have thought priorities would be increased capacity and frequency if possible - I don't mind how long it takes to get there (well, within reason - that said i've never travelled long distance and, including changes, it been slower than a car journey, and usually faster) as long as I don't have to stand up!

Once Again - This isn't a London - Birmingham project -- it is the first stage in a London - Manchester/Leeds project which will eventually be extended to Glasgow/Edinburgh

[Mickey]

Deleted

[S.A.C. Martin]

The Disney monorail is an excellent piece of engineering and was well ahead of its time. I know - I've used it many a time over the last decade. It is infinitely superior to many of the transit systems at airports employed in the UK, being incredibly smooth and spacious.

I have always felt the Disneyland and Las Vegas Mark VI monorail trains to be among the "best" trains in the world for the jobs they do. For moving people around short to mid distances from location to location, this type of monorail system is remarkably under utilized.

But that's for another thread, I am sure.

[Coboman]

Ay up!

I dunno - HS1's a bit of a white elephant in itself.

I can assure you, having used it, that it is anything but a white elephant. 9 Million passengers a year can't all be wrong!

Emmmmmmm..........cost £5.8 billion to build, flogged off for £2.1 billion. Now thats what I call a good investment.....NOT!

[60800]

I think the disney system is brilliant too, tis just a shame that no-one is allowed to ride in the cab anymore since a fatal collision a few years ago. I can tell you it was quite an amazing experience peering outta the massive cab window, I've still got the little card they gave you too.

Does anyone think it would be worthwhile starting a new thread on the disney transport system?
I would imagine there's a lot to talk talk about, especially with the oil fired steam engines in Magic Kingdom and the steam paddlers.

[Bill Bedford]

Emmmmmmm..........cost £5.8 billion to build, flogged off for £2.1 billion. Now thats what I call a good investment.....NOT!

Where do people get this stuff from???
HS1 HASN'T been 'flogged of'. The present operators paid £2.1billion for the privilege of running the franchise for the next 30 years.

[S.A.C. Martin]

Ay up!

I dunno - HS1's a bit of a white elephant in itself.

I can assure you, having used it, that it is anything but a white elephant. 9 Million passengers a year can't all be wrong!

Emmmmmmm..........cost £5.8 billion to build, flogged off for £2.1 billion. Now thats what I call a good investment.....NOT!

Bill has put it much more succinctly than I have, but I find the sheer lack of research on the part of the HS1 and HS2 detractors alarming.

[60041]

I am largely neutral on this, I would like to see a decent high sped network in this country as much as anybody, but this scheme is incomplete and unless it includes Manchester, Newcastle and carries on to Edinburgh/ Glasgow it will never reach its full potential. I also feel that the same money spent on local schemes would have a greater benefit to more people than this. Projects like the reopening of Colne to Skipton, Woodhead, the southern part of the Waverley Route, passenger trains on the Blyth and Tyne and dozens of other small schemes throughout Britain would be affordable if that amount of money was available.
Two things I don't understand about the current proposals are; why is it so expensive - £Bn 60 is a huge amount of money, the TGV Méditerranée with seven long viaducts (17.155 km) and one long tunnel (12.768 km) cost only $15 million per km 10 years ago.
Secondly, why can they not follow the Great Central route? I know that some stretches are now occupied by industrial units or have had roads built over them, but most of the trackbed is available and this would demolish the main argument against the line; the environmental impact, also re-using the original formation must be cheaper than buying new land and starting from scratch.

[S.A.C. Martin]

£33 Billion is not a lot of money when it is spread out over a decade or more. It's less than the annual NHS budget, spread out over a much longer period.

[kudu]

£33 Billion is not a lot of money when it is spread out over a decade or more. It's less than the annual NHS budget, spread out over a much longer period.

Whether it's a lot or a little depends on the magnitude of the net benefits from it. I have already questioned their magnitude from the energy viewpoint. But even taking the findings at face value suggests the benefits are meagre over and above those from West Coast upgrading and other measures.

Kudu

[cambois]

HS2 is a lot of money, but only twice the cost of Crossrail. and London is now looking for the Sw-Ne line, so London is wanting to spend the same at HS2 is suggested to link London - Birmingham-Manchester/Leeds

More upgrade of the WCML might have been an option if the privatised railway had not wasted a fortune (about £10n) on the partial upgrade recently completed. (But not much done north of Weaver Jn)

There is only one hourly express path left on the WCML south of Rugby. Not a lot for future demand. And the ECML is no better

The recent record on approvals has been good and if they are delivered on time & on budget, more will come. The recent experiences of project delivery are encouraging, and the announcement of Oxford - M Kynes is quite encouraging to others to develop strong business reasons for their projects, and sound engineering solutions.

I am sure more will come, including High Speed to scotland

[hq1hitchin]

Another take on it:

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/soci ... 201114753/