New high speed rail link ...is it worth it ?

Originally Posted by raging bull

I wouldn't have thought that freight traffic be allowed on the HS2 line.
Don't they wear out the tracks more?

what they are saying is that when it is completed it will free up room on the existing network for more freight.Although by the time this is completed we will probably have flying cars or instant star trek transporters

Well, I am still waiting for hoverboards (only two more years to fulfill that prediction)...

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

We're still waiting for a by-pass on the A27 that was planned 50 years ago. The North of my town is gridlocked or full of rat-runners for hours each day. A small amount of the money for HS2 would have had that built in no time.

well i'm still not convinced that it will be worth doing .I can see some benefits and in a time of affluence it would worth doing but i think we have missed the boat and any advantages gained by having it have been missed many years ago .There are better and more needy things to spend the money on imo.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

http://news.sky.com/story/1065059/hs...nlawful-ruling

This decision will be a disaster for the environment and it proves that the government will do anything against the voters wishes.

I work in South West London, and this decision will be a disaster for the community, everywhere l go in the area, l see these signs up to protest about this rail link.

It is not necessary, we already have rail links up to the North, we just need to improve on the services that we have, not destroy the areas.

What they will basically do, where l work in Ealing they will rip up three major estates, to have a railway going through it.

From Hanger Lane, coming from London, where we have ONE rail line going through it, at the moment they are building a major Hotel, this will be put on hold, it will then go through Perivale, Greenford on its way up to the North.

This is pure stupidity, we have rail links going up to Reading where the new rail link then heads North.

This will destroy everyone in this area.

It reminds me of the Airport scheme we had in London where they were going to rip up Sipson. Total madness by this government.

They are not thinking

[Osem]

Whatever happened to Prof Laithwaite's linear induction motor?

http://www2.imperial.ac.uk/blog/vide...oject-in-1973/

Had high hopes for that when I was a kid...

[Will21st]

This should've been built 20 years ago....

it's just typical that we can't our fingers out of our behinds and have to have consultation after consultation,not to forget the NIMBY's,National Trust,Campaign for Rural England and other assorted idiots who believe this country only has a past and no future....

Same with new Runways at Gatwick,Heathrow or the Thames Estuary Airport... instead of just getting on with it there is a commission that will decide after the next general election,political point-scoring instead of sorting out the countries future.

very annoying indeed.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Just think that when it is being built - not one company will come from Britain.

There will be major contractors after this plum contract, but the homeowners will be offered pittance of a compensation.

Some of the houses in the area where l work are worth millions and the residents have spent time on money making it homes to live in, and yet this government will tear it to pieces.

In other countries where we have super fast trains, the landscape is great, BUT we are talking about Britain here - and the government wont be a hoot about anyone as they know they will get money back from it, with all the plum contracts.

It also reminds me of the M25 near Chertsey, they expanded the lanes, and destroyed the whole landscape and what has it achieved - Nothing, we still have problems there.

How do you know none of the companies will be from the UK, Arthur?

Regarding 'pittance', sorry to bring facts to the discussion, but here you go....

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/g...sation-package

The measures proposed today go beyond the statutory requirements by:

providing a government commitment to buy any owner-occupied home in the ‘safeguarded area’ closest to the route - as set out in law, the government will then pay the full un-blighted value of the property, along with additional compensation of 10% up to a value of £47,000.

establishing a ‘voluntary purchase zone’ immediately outside of the safeguarded area in rural areas, within which homeowners can sell their homes at their full un-blighted value....


....Under these measures, owner-occupiers of residential properties and owners of commercial properties (with a rateable value not exceeding £34,800) where some or all of the property is within the safeguarded area (usually 60 metres either side of the track) will be able to ask the government to purchase their property under compulsory terms at a time of their choosing after safeguarding directions are made (expected Spring 2013). This means they will receive the unblighted open market value of the property, a home loss payment (10% of the value of the property, up to £47,000) and disturbance costs (such as fees, removal costs and stamp duty on a new property of equivalent value).

[mertle]

Originally Posted by Osem

Whatever happened to Prof Laithwaite's linear induction motor?

http://www2.imperial.ac.uk/blog/vide...oject-in-1973/

Had high hopes for that when I was a kid...

alive and kicking abroad in japan

http://science.howstuffworks.com/tra...glev-train.htm


It has moved on from this testing phase

http://www.ecomagination.com/big-in-japan

After decades of research and development, delays, and financial hand-wringing, Japan has finally given the green light for construction of a high-speed magnetic levitation line connecting the cities of Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.

If this government got any sense they would jump on board get one here scrap the HS2.

If they build it above on stilts the construction it would minimise environment damage. Better would be massive undertaking build it underground. The costs think would be too great for this undertaking.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

Hugh, you dont know what the hell you are talking about, l work in the area that is going to be effected badly by this crap.

I speak with the residents each day, and this nonsense about comp is rubbish, they have been told that IF they don't agree to the sale of houses to make way for this, it will be taken by the government.

The actual railway line that is going to be carved up, l walk past each day, sometimes twice and the amount of properties going to be demolished by this will be immense.

There is going to be a multi million pound hotel built directly OVER the line that will use these high speed trains, and the effect on the area will be terrible, at the moment the area is heavy in traffic, god knows what will happen with the traffic problems then.

I am not being disrespectful to you Hugh, but l don't an UK company will win the contract for this major project.

We get all this 'promise' about how it will create thousands of jobs and bring business to the areas surrounding this rail link, but it will go to foreign workers, as whoever wins the contract will take on workers at the cheapest price possible, it will probably get finance from the tax payer and also the Lottery (Like the London OLYMPICS).

This country is not anything compared to other countries, it will use the cheaper labour possible and cost billions MORE than what is expected.

I don't know where you live, but as l said l work along the area that will be hardest hit by this rail link.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Hugh, you dont know what the hell you are talking about,.

I know who i would trust to post accurate factual information

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Sirius

I know who i would trust to post accurate factual information

Yeah, that statement well and truly takes the biscuit.

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

I speak with the residents each day, and this nonsense about comp is rubbish, they have been told that IF they don't agree to the sale of houses to make way for this, it will be taken by the government .

Yes, that is what is supposed to happen. Arthur, you are confusing two different things.

COMPULSORY PURCHASE is what happens when your house is in the way of a new piece of national infrastructure like a road or a railway.

COMPENSATION is what you get when your house is compulsorily purchased.

When someone complains that they are going to be subjected to COMPULSORY PURCHASE, it does not mean that this week's announcement about COMPENSATION is nonsense.

Nobody has promised that any house owner will get the right to refuse to sell their home. What has been promised, is the amount they will get. Also promised this week is an amount that will be paid to people who won't have to sell their home, but decide they want to because it is close to the railway.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Hugh, you dont know what the hell you are talking about, l work in the area that is going to be effected badly by this crap.

I speak with the residents each day, and this nonsense about comp is rubbish, they have been told that IF they don't agree to the sale of houses to make way for this, it will be taken by the government.

That's how compulsory purchase works. The government will then pay compensation for those who lose their houses. Up to £50,000 more than the current value of the house.

BTW, do you seriously think that if the government cancelled the projects and used the money to build more motorways that they would not have to knock down any houses?

The actual railway line that is going to be carved up, l walk past each day, sometimes twice and the amount of properties going to be demolished by this will be immense.

OK.

There is going to be a multi million pound hotel built directly OVER the line that will use these high speed trains, and the effect on the area will be terrible, at the moment the area is heavy in traffic, god knows what will happen with the traffic problems then.

The company that will own and run the hotel is probably paying a lot toward the construction of the line.

As for traffic, if they market the line correctly, the line will remove a lot of that traffic.

I am not being disrespectful to you Hugh, but l don't an UK company will win the contract for this major project.

That's not what you said.

We get all this 'promise' about how it will create thousands of jobs and bring business to the areas surrounding this rail link, but it will go to foreign workers, as whoever wins the contract will take on workers at the cheapest price possible, it will probably get finance from the tax payer and also the Lottery (Like the London OLYMPICS).

Lets wait and see what happens before we complain about it..

This country is not anything compared to other countries, it will use the cheaper labour possible and cost billions MORE than what is expected.

Which is exactly what other countries do. The difference being other countries sometimes forget little things like Health and Safety, which is often the reason other countries finish projects more quickly and more cheaply than ours.

I don't know where you live, but as l said l work along the area that will be hardest hit by this rail link.

You make it sound like they will be torturing people and leaving them destitute. They won't, and while having to leave a house can be upsetting, you can make another house your home.

[GrimUpNorth]

@Arthur

Part 1 of The Land Compensation Act 1973 says if as a result of a public works there are changes in any of the five physical factors (noise, vibration, artificial lighting, fumes or run off), and these changes de-value a property by £50 or more then anyone who has an interest in the property can claim compensation.

There are plenty of ambulance chasing companies who'll be all over HS2.

Cheers

Grim