Not everyone’s on board the high-speed rail network

In the interests of impartiality, you should provide a link to Yes2HS2 as well.

I am well in favour of a new High Speed Line. Well, any new railway line which relieves the crowded, congested and unreliable West Coast Main Line (which I take every day from Rugby) is to be welcomed.

Some points to consider:-

A)
West Coast Mainline “upgrade” – costing £9bn gave us i) remodelled Rugby station ii) remodelled Milton Keynes station and iii) remodelled Euston throat. Basically things which should’ve been done years ago.
The reality was
1) a decade of disruption to all WCML passengers
2) de-scoped delivery – it was meant to deliver 140mph trains with cab signalling
3) many parts of the line still using old signalling and track which break frequently

this against HS1 which was

1) Delivered on time and on budget (£15bn inc St Pancras)
2) Delivered with a 200mph top speed (capable)
3) Is extremely reliable (the trains are not in snow)

B)

The cost – this is spread over 20 years, so we can afford it

C)

This is not managed by Network Rail so costs/overheads are lower and does not come out of their budget for maintenance of the existing network.

It will be funded in the same way as HS1, Thameslink and Crossrail – all seperate from Network Rail

D)

It is about capacity, faster journey times are a bonus

and finally E)

We invented the railways and we have been “making do and mending” for all our lives. It’s the British way. Think of the jobs that it will create, think of the connections to Europe, think of the ability to not live in the London/Birmingham/Manchester commuter belts in order to work there, think of the increased services on the WCML for all the towns and cities on it, think of the expanding of rail freight due to increased capacity, think of grounded flights (check London – Paris), think of the rising price of petrol (1.33 last time I looked), think of fewer cars on the road.

http://www.greengauge21.net/
http://www.yestohs2.co.uk/

These guys can put it way better than I can, build it! build it now!!

Think of what follows, faster trains to Glasgow and Newcastle etc. That will cut the number of internal flights in the UK.

In German I noticed a year or two back that one of their new hi-speed lines was built following the line of the Autobahn. Gave the drivers something to look at as the train sped by without making too much noise. Most of the noise was from the traffic.

Incidently the Eurostar engines are a disgrace. The noise they produce is much too loud; at least they were when they went through Bromley before HS1 was commissioned.