Author Topic: High Speed Rail Link London to Manchester and Beyond  (Read 1855 times)

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Offline johntaylor49

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High Speed Rail Link London to Manchester and Beyond
« on: August 21, 2013, 13:03:21 PM »
Not sure if this is a permissible subject as it is UK only
and England for the moment but as it is all "our" Money that will be spent?

Personally I can see no point at all in spending £80Bn on something we simply do not need
and will not really provide any tangible or intangible benefits? It is just a great White Elephant
that not only will never pay for itself but will not bring any financial benefits except for making it easier for London based Companies to pay lower salaries as workers can live further away?

It will destroy our beautiful Countryside and put us even more in debt!

I K Brunel (Not really  :) )



Offline teetee

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Re: High Speed Rail Link London to Manchester and Beyond
« Reply #1 on: August 21, 2013, 15:11:03 PM »
At the moment the cost is not 80bn that is the latest "guess" as to the potential end cost. That aside this project funnily enough has the support of all 3 main political parties, now there's a thing!

The project will happen even though, apart from providing years of jobs for those involved and much needed money spent on infrastructure where there are loads of other areas where this kind of money would be better utilized and makes more sense.

The two things that I cannot get my head around is that although this project will only knock about 30 minutes or so off of the current journey time, they are not linking the route to either Heathrow or to High Speed 1 at St Pancras, linking directly to the continent which when the second phase is completed would mean that you could go from Leeds & Manchester to the continent and link up with the European high speed rail lines, Manchester to Istanbul domestic flight to Dalaman that would be an interesting adventure.

Funnily enough the second phase to Manchester does include Manchester Airport!

Although Crossrail say that over 60% of the suppliers are from outside of the capital they fail to mention that most of the bigger contracts have been awarded to joint venture companies with lots of these being no British so the profits will be going back to their HQ's in whatever country that may be.

Finally, there must be plenty of profit to be made by the main contractors as I had a small involvement with a joint venture doing tunneling under the Thames and some of the German workers where commuting each Friday and returning Monday from Heathrow and putting them up in a hotel all week and this will be for 2 years at least. If we had done as the Germans have done regarding training over the years these could have been British workers and to appease everyone that includes the Scots, Welsh and those from the West Country!!!




 

Offline GordonA

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Re: High Speed Rail Link London to Manchester and Beyond
« Reply #2 on: August 21, 2013, 16:07:41 PM »
Might as well let Buzz Lightyear head the consultations, because to Infinity & Beyond is about as likely as this white elephant becoming a reality. £millions of tax-payers hard-earned, ( most of aforesaid tax-payers who NEVER use trains !!) will be/have been, spent on feasibility studies, etc., only for the whole shooting match to be kicked into touch because there will probably be some or other species of rare newt, frog, butterfly or politician nesting on the proposed route ! The only people who then will see any money? correct, your crooked politicians , of ALL parties, who have had their snouts in the trough since Day ! !!
I rest my case.

Offline scorcher

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Re: High Speed Rail Link London to Manchester and Beyond
« Reply #3 on: August 21, 2013, 16:51:54 PM »
Porter !

Offline johntaylor49

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Re: High Speed Rail Link London to Manchester and Beyond
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2013, 14:22:40 PM »
I could see the sense in a project that could help rejuvenate areas of the UK that desperately need it, but all the wasted money if it never goes ahead aside, it would not provide any benefit really to the very areas that need help. Most of the work would go overseas, and, when completed, bit like the wonderful Garden Projects of Fuhrer Thatcher, the weeds will gather in the towns and cities where no increase in jobs has happened at all! Look what a great success the Garden project was in Stoke! Yeah, waste of money!

All this will do if it does go ahead is make us even more a Capital City centric economy, everyone move to the South East and concrete it over completely! How many more new jobs has the faster link to Norwich provided, apart from estate agents to see over priced property to London Commuters that local people can no longer afford? I travel to London and back very frequently from Manchester by train, whether it takes me 2 hours or 1Hour 30 minutes is pretty irrelevant, no significant advantage at all. If it is 1 hour from Birmingham it might make it easier for someone in Finance to live in Solihull and work in the City -- how does that benefit Birmingham?

Imagine having £80bn to subsidise manufacturing Industries, and we are very good at precision engineering, (who knew that final drive gearboxes for American Nuclear Submarines were made in Yorkshire???), to help fund apprenticeships, to fund redevelopment of places like Salford, Wigan, Preston, Sunderland, Govan etc.?

Aha, could it be the usual, all the service jobs it will create in already wealthy areas, votes, votes, votes!!

Such a shame our last Revolution was so long ago, perhaps it is time .....................




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