HS2 protest

Deleted

Deleted

Active member
I hope they carry on.

Seriously, what is the point in HS2?

People are working from home and that's looking increasingly likely to continue. Surely it's cheaper and easier to hold a meeting over Zoom or Teams than travelling 2 hours from one end of the country to the other?

All sounds like a monumental waste of money.
 
Last edited:
Currently, phase one of HS2 is expected to cost in the region of £44.6 billion (€49.2 billion). On phase two, which recently had cost estimates running as high as £106 billion (€117 billion), Stephenson said he expected the work to be completed within a new target of £98 billion (€108 billion).Oct 16, 2020

But we can't feed hungry kids.
 
Caesium137 said:
Currently, phase one of HS2 is expected to cost in the region of £44.6 billion (€49.2 billion). On phase two, which recently had cost estimates running as high as £106 billion (€117 billion), Stephenson said he expected the work to be completed within a new target of £98 billion (€108 billion).Oct 16, 2020

But we can't feed hungry kids.
Click to expand...
A far cry from Stephenson's Locomotion was built for £500, carrying 450 passengers.
 
A white Elephant costing billions to save what, 20 minutes on a train journey, where the train will invariably be 20 minutes late leaving. Probably overcharged tickets and very few passengers. 'Let the train take the strain'
 
I'm against HS2, but I don't see how this type of protest does anything to help. They are bound to get less sympathy from the public right now; they are costing the community a lot of money and they put forward a weak argument based on climate change (what would be preferable to electric trains, a cycle path?).
Why did HS2 allow them to camp on their land for so long? Was it because they, rightly, recognise that Swampy and co will do more to undermine (no pun intended) their opposition's cause than strengthen it?
 
Anton_Berg said:
I'm against HS2, but I don't see how this type of protest does anything to help. They are bound to get less sympathy from the public right now; they are costing the community a lot of money and they put forward a weak argument based on climate change (what would be preferable to electric trains, a cycle path?).
Why did HS2 allow them to camp on their land for so long? Was it because they, rightly, recognise that Swampy and co will do more to undermine (no pun intended) their opposition's cause than strengthen it?
Click to expand...
It seems locals are supporting them so sympathy is probably high.

With the help of local residents, spoil from digging has been used to “fortify the barricades” at the network’s entrance and insulate the “pallet fortress” to keep tunnellers warm as they sleep between shifts.
 
Anton_Berg said:
I'm against HS2, but I don't see how this type of protest does anything to help. They are bound to get less sympathy from the public right now; they are costing the community a lot of money and they put forward a weak argument based on climate change (what would be preferable to electric trains, a cycle path?).
Why did HS2 allow them to camp on their land for so long? Was it because they, rightly, recognise that Swampy and co will do more to undermine (no pun intended) their opposition's cause than strengthen it?
Click to expand...
What would be preferable to electric trains?

I think they would prefer the entire thing scrapped and the nature planned for razing to be kept intact.
 
bear66 said:
It seems locals are supporting them so sympathy is probably high.

With the help of local residents, spoil from digging has been used to “fortify the barricades” at the network’s entrance and insulate the “pallet fortress” to keep tunnellers warm as they sleep between shifts.
Click to expand...
If it was coming through my neighbourhood, I'd support them too but what public support do 'lifestyle-activists' have compared to affected local residents?
 
TommyPlus said:
What would be preferable to electric trains?

I think they would prefer the entire thing scrapped and the nature planned for razing to be kept intact.
Click to expand...
So would I, but the activists are going on about fossil fuel consumption, which is a bit off target.
 
Anton_Berg said:
I'm against HS2, but I don't see how this type of protest does anything to help. They are bound to get less sympathy from the public right now; they are costing the community a lot of money and they put forward a weak argument based on climate change (what would be preferable to electric trains, a cycle path?).
Why did HS2 allow them to camp on their land for so long? Was it because they, rightly, recognise that Swampy and co will do more to undermine (no pun intended) their opposition's cause than strengthen it?
Click to expand...
They've got all my sympathy. Especially when you read stories like this one 👇🏻


www.google.com

Couple lose seven-year fight against HS2 as 17th century home to be demolished

Ron Ryall says "it's like having my stomach ripped out" as he signed over the property once visited by Queen Elizabeth I to HS2.
www.google.com www.google.com
 
Oh, and the total cost will have at least doubled by the time it’s completed - once started we’ll need to finish regardless of how much it costs.
 
Anton_Berg said:
I'm against HS2, but I don't see how this type of protest does anything to help. They are bound to get less sympathy from the public right now; they are costing the community a lot of money and they put forward a weak argument based on climate change (what would be preferable to electric trains, a cycle path?).
Why did HS2 allow them to camp on their land for so long? Was it because they, rightly, recognise that Swampy and co will do more to undermine (no pun intended) their opposition's cause than strengthen it?
Click to expand...
Two of the main reasons HS2 cost so much is because we pander too much to people and there's far too much red tape in rail, I work on rail projects often and it's absolutely ludicrous. Both of those could be solved (or greatly reduced) very quickly.

Most (every) other country would do it for half the cost as they would just say, "it's coming this way whether you like it or not, you're taking this fair offer and you're moving, end of". There's little room for sentiment with an expanding population in a small area, that requires more and more movement, people can't have their cake and eat it.

There's a fair point about zoom and that will hopefully take some strain way, but zoom doesn't work for a lot of situations, especially construction, labour, families etc.

Lets not forget that the vast majority of that money will be going to materials, sub contractors, jobs and labour etc (mostly from the UK for you brexiters), and there's a return on it economically. It's not like we're just burning the money and getting nothing back.

We need more infrastructure, as well as rebuilding old, as we're at capacity on just about everything. This should have been built 30 years ago.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top