HS2

[jon81uk]

I used to get the overnight coach from Digbeth coach station Brum, north in the middle of the night, on many occasions in my youth.
Concrete and a smell of wee, reminded me of Blackpool.
Lord save my soul.
Is it still there?
If god gave the world an enema, the tube would go in Digbeth coach station.

They’ve knocked it down and rebuilt it.

 

[rob666]

Yeah, just googled it myself.
It was such a hole.
But a single coach back up north in the middle of the night when there were no trains.

 

[Ash]

Not that it would ever happen, but one of the replacement items announced today is reopening Stoke to Leek line.

In practice that means the existing heritage railway with this extension would be 4/5 miles away from Alton station having mainline access (or what is broadly agreed would be a separate platform at Stoke station)

We’re talking a decade away from happening, but certainly it wouldn’t make sense given all that expense to not make the final push from Froghall to Alton.

And before replies start about access to the park etc, this could be achieved using the old coach entrance up to coaster corner. And Alton Towers actually own the historic Alton Bridge building boarded up so could make an incredible ticket and information centre.

 

[Jb85]

@Ash seems a reasonable idea to me

 

[Poisson]

I work for one of the major HS2 partners. The work north of Brum is mainly the bit that can be used as the legacy connection that is being proposed now. The bits further north of that were in very early stages (pre spades in the ground) but it's going to have a knock on in the industry. It'll be interesting to see what effects this has on the construction industry

 

[Slugjc]

I work for one of the major HS2 partners. The work north of Brum is mainly the bit that can be used as the legacy connection that is being proposed now. The bits further north of that were in very early stages (pre spades in the ground) but it's going to have a knock on in the industry. It'll be interesting to see what effects this has on the construction industry

Has anything been said about job security for those already working on the project in the north?

We have had some very minor tree felling along the proposed root here In east Leeds. Alot compulsory purchased orders have already been completed. Wonder what will happen with that now. Can't remember the exact location now but a new housing estate was earmarked for knocking down, alot of families lost thousands because they brand new home was due to be demolished for a railway.

 

[John_P]

No doubt the government will be ready to go scorched earth and sell the already acquired land to their mates for knockdown prices so future governments can't promise to continue HS2. Then all the 'savings' from cancelling it will disappear and the north will get sweet FA as usual.

Also bare in mind the people of Wales were they've had to contribute to HS2 as its for some reason classed as an England and Wales project, and now with the new 'plans' they've been abandoned again.

 

[Ash]

I work for one of the major HS2 partners. The work north of Brum is mainly the bit that can be used as the legacy connection that is being proposed now. The bits further north of that were in very early stages (pre spades in the ground) but it's going to have a knock on in the industry. It'll be interesting to see what effects this has on the construction industry

I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more work as it will now be spread out.

Like the stoke to leek line, we need them to get people clearing it asap to be able to inspect, design etc. No reason that can’t start

 

[rob666]

Not that it would ever happen, but one of the replacement items announced today is reopening Stoke to Leek line.

In practice that means the existing heritage railway with this extension would be 4/5 miles away from Alton station having mainline access (or what is broadly agreed would be a separate platform at Stoke station)

We’re talking a decade away from happening, but certainly it wouldn’t make sense given all that expense to not make the final push from Froghall to Alton.

And before replies start about access to the park etc, this could be achieved using the old coach entrance up to coaster corner. And Alton Towers actually own the historic Alton Bridge building boarded up so could make an incredible ticket and information centre.

It is a political promise, at the party conference of the party about to be kicked out of power.
Unlikely to happen, ever.
I really wouldn't be holding your breath for the reopening Stoke to Leek, ever.
The link to Alton is a complete thoosie dream, sorry.

 

[Slugjc]

I would say every single penny put aside for us in t'north is sheer election fodder.

Some of things said by him yesterday baffling. As it stands, 5 trains an hour leaves Leeds heading Sheffield. Rishi has promised to quadruple the amount. Ladies and gentlemen, that means a train leave Leeds to Sheffield every 3 mins.......

Which is great. Means a regular service to near where I live. But currently they struggle to run the 5 per hour

 

[Jb85]

It's very clear the promises are lies. We will never see an upgrade to the northern route out of this.

Hopefully it will the construction sector moving a bit more. Whilst this was a major project, its knock on effect was a reduction in availability of labour and materials as a whole.....

 

[Benzin]

Also mentioned Leeds getting a tram system would happen instead.

Which means it's completely out the bull's anus.

 

[Dave]

Not that it would ever happen, but one of the replacement items announced today is reopening Stoke to Leek line.

In practice that means the existing heritage railway with this extension would be 4/5 miles away from Alton station having mainline access (or what is broadly agreed would be a separate platform at Stoke station)

We’re talking a decade away from happening, but certainly it wouldn’t make sense given all that expense to not make the final push from Froghall to Alton.

And before replies start about access to the park etc, this could be achieved using the old coach entrance up to coaster corner. And Alton Towers actually own the historic Alton Bridge building boarded up so could make an incredible ticket and information centre.

They won’t use the old station entrance for this. It doesn’t get you anywhere near a possible entrance to the park.

In the unlikely event a train link was made to Alton they would just have a shuttle bus that was timed with trains arriving.

As for HS2, whether you agreed with the project or not, how anyone thinks the Tory’s are a competent political entity anymore is beyond me.

 

[GaryH]

As for HS2, whether you agreed with the project or not, how anyone thinks the Tory’s are a competent political entity anymore is beyond me.

Regardless what you think Dave and what you called me last week, I’m not a Tory supporter. I vote for whoever I think at the time is the best option. The last vote would have been Corbyn - which the majority of the country also decided not to vote for. I’ve voted for all the main parties and don’t stick to any in particular, just who I feel is best at the time.

I totally agree with your comment, they definitely won’t be getting my vote. My only concern is who is out there who could actually do a good job. While I’m still not convinced with Labour, I guess they couldn’t do any worse right now and perhaps should be given a shot.

Personally, I feel the country could do with a whole new political party. It’s stale as it currently stands.

Anyway, that’s going off topic, and I totally disagree with the scrapping of HS2 at this stage. It should have been seen through to completion.

 

[ScottishChris]

I truly hope that when the Tories are kicked out, they will come up with a plan to either extend the line or safeguard the route. I was not a fan of the project, but there is absolutely no point having such a short line for a HS train.

There was a "rail expert" on Radio 2 yesterday who spoke a lot of sense. Some of the things he stated:
- The West Coast mainline is operating at capacity
- Post-covid passenger numbers are actually up and not what the Tories are claiming
- The infrastructure and age of the East and West coast mainlines mean that required maintenance is and will continue to rise. This will require more line closures to complete

I feel the most disappointing part of the whole fiasco is we led the world with infrastructure projects when things were new and difficult - look at things like the Forth Bridge, the viaducts we built, the Severn Tunnel. We led the world in large infrastructure projects, people admired what we achieved. Now, we are a laughing stock.

 

[Slugjc]

Also mentioned Leeds getting a tram system would happen instead.

Which means it's completely out the bull's anus.

The Leeds tramway has been a debate for decades now. Every 5 years look north or Calender show us a bright new public tram for Leeds. Always fails. Can't even get a train built to the airport.

As our mayor Tracey Brabin has stated this very morning, it's a tramway for West Yorkshire not Leeds. Think it goes to Bradford aswell.

 

[Plastic Person]

I truly hope that when the Tories are kicked out, they will come up with a plan to either extend the line or safeguard the route. I was not a fan of the project, but there is absolutely no point having such a short line for a HS train.

Rumour has it that the Tories are plotting to sell off a lot of the proposed HS2 land before the next election, as hinted at within this document.

Sunak will be long gone before any accountability is taken for his claim that the associated costs will instead be ploughed back into frail transportation networks up North. What's more, apparently our old pal Dominic Cummings has been strategising with Rishi, and his (depressingly effective) advice has been to make as much noise as possible on a few hot potato topics in order to demonstrate to the Facebook tinfoil hat brigade that he is not "the establishment."

Perhaps the most solid example of this and the contemporary strategy for divide-and-rule under the Tories is the banning of trans women from women's hospital wards. Given the current bin fires simmering to stoke surrounding the current discourse around gender, I wasn't surprised to see something like this crop up so prominently in his speech, but even I was surprised to see that this apparently vital issue is supported by, er, not one single complaint raised about this at any of the 102 NHS foundation trusts across the UK. And yet, it is central to their messaging.

These people are wasting our time and testing our patience. They are taking the piss.

 

[Matt N]

With regard to the Conservatives supposedly selling off the HS2 land at reduced prices before the next election specifically so that Labour can’t build it; surely they wouldn’t strategise moves like that just to stitch up a future Labour government?

 

[Slugjc]

With regard to the Conservatives supposedly selling off the HS2 land at reduced prices before the next election specifically so that Labour can’t build it; surely they wouldn’t strategise moves like that just to stitch up a future Labour government?

Alot of Tory MPs mates getting very cheap. Nevermind MPs themselves. As a guess.

 

[rob666]

frail transportation networks up North.

Absolute spot on spelling error there sir.