HS2 "slowly dying"
 

Long article in today's Telegraph. Seems there are problems in getting the running lines to Euston station, therefore HS2 might have to terminate at Old Oak Common, four miles short of Euston. Obviously this puts a big question mark over the plan, shattering the route's city centre to city centre appeal, adding time to journeys and further harming already the schemes poor business case. Boris Johnson has stated he will withdraw his support for HS2 if it stops at Old Oak calling it the " Ryanair solution, stopping in the middle of nowhere" HS2 management are still confident they can surmount the obstacles.

They have to overcome these issues. If not I agree it will be a non-starter!! Surely it can't be that difficult. Sure there will be a lot of upheaval to begin, but the end result must surely benefit the long term view.
cheers
Phil

As I stated it was a big article in paper. Design work on Euston station has been "stopped" because HS2 " simply couldn't get the costs and benefits of the scheme to balance in an affordable way". Also goes on - some of the issues : building over railway tracks is very expensive/ HS2 could return to a plan....keeping most of the station and erecting an extension alongside it for high speed trains, described by critics as a 'lean to'/ HS2 have underestimated the value of the land round here ( Euston). They need to do a big investment to replace the housing they would have to knock down. About 1,500 houses would be affected. St James garden will be destroyed and graves there will have to be dug up. Twenty thousand square metres of open land will be lost. Restaurants, pubs, shops and other businesses will be demolished with about 3,000 jobs at risk. Article goes on to say whatever happens the halting of the process is expected to add at least a year to the construction, making the original timetable impossible.

Getting HS2 into Central London is always going to be a problem given our original Victorian infrastructure with no room for expansion. Given that HS2 is going through Old Oak Common, which is to be a major interchange with Crossrail, wouldn't Paddington be a better alternative? The electrification of the lines out of Paddington will no doubt be accompanied by a complete redesign and rationalisation of the station and approach lines which could then accommodate HS2.

Letter to the editor in todays DT (edited) "Euston was not plucked out of the air. Twenty-nine options for a London terminus were considered. All were eliminated for practical reasons, including St Pancras. Anyone who thinks it can be built at the latter should tell us how eleven 1,360ft platforms can be built there without demolishing the British Library. "

Anywhere else in the country, would the library would be knocked down and rebuilt elsewhere.

Who needs HS2? I am sixty years old and live in East Lancashire and been to London twice in my life so getting there 20 mins faster for me means nothing ( thats if it ever gets past Birmingham.)
Would be better for the Government if it started up north and worked south showing some commitment then to complete the whole project. Otherwise, if they want to cut the costs in half, just make it one way - out of London
John ;)

I always get the impression that HS2 is more of a vanity exercise than a practical improvement project for our rail infrastructure.
Too many politicians are involved who don't consider practicalities, but use it for political gain by striving to keep up with other countries high speed rail achievements whilst ignoring the benefits to us the users.
We have a situation up here regarding Toton or Breaston for the HS2 hub that is going to cost a fortune to resolve.

As I understand things, the space capacity on the "normal" system that HS2 will bring will enable much more freight to travel.

That is surely a big benefit ?

I agree with you on this one. It has to be good.

On a previous comment, I do understand that the north part of the country will not see much gain, but as with everything we need to start somewhere and I believe it will spread across the country one day. I just hope I will still be around to see it.
Another issue, the government have stated a multi-billion £ investment in our roads will be available next year if they win another term? surely it would make far more sense to get people off the roads and onto the railways. Mass movements of people with an electric form of transport has to be the answer to our ever increasing population. Trams are coming back in many cities, and rail links are improving, but this country desperately needs to step up a few gears.
I wholeheartedly support any improvments and investments in our railways
Cheers
Phil

I think the answer is to put something in the water! :D:D