Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:07 am Post subject: Re: New British High Speed Railway Routes
I think it's great news these lines are even being talked about!
Here's a BBC link with a map of the possible new lines.
BBC link
But, as you suggest, whether they ever get built is another matter. I thought the rising passenger numbers was a good sign.
Quote:
In the last decade, passenger numbers have risen by about 40% with more people travelling by rail than at any time since 1946.
With the rapidly rising fuel prices those numbers should be set to rocket. Don't expect to get a seat!
I'm pleased to see two lines into Scotland and one into Wales. Nothing for Northern Ireland though. Yes, it's very London centric as usual; apparently all journeys begin or end there!
I would have liked to see a high speed link across the country from North Wales to Hull (via Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and York). And not just because I'm a northerner. I think it was inevitable there would be a line along the booming, prosperous M4 corridor (to Cardiff). My brother lives in Cornwall and public transport down that way is very poor; so definitely overdue some attention.
So ... promising news ... but let's have some action soon!
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:42 am Post subject: Re: New British High Speed Railway Routes
energycity wrote:
I would have liked to see a high speed link across the country from North Wales to Hull (via Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and York). And not just because I'm a northerner. I think it was inevitable there would be a line along the booming, prosperous M4 corridor (to Cardiff). My brother lives in Cornwall and public transport down that way is very poor; so definitely overdue some attention.
So ... good news ... but let's have some action soon!
Trans-pennine & NE-SW important routes, as would be a couple more east-west high-speed routes linking to the north - south ones.
Oxford - Cambridge would have been a good choice, BUT there allready building a guided busway on the track bed at Cambridge, only for local use - criminal.
Tell you why I dont think it will happen, The west coast route (London-Birmingham-Liverpool-Manchester-Glasgow) line is having billions spent on it right now - 4 tracking 2 track sections in the midlands, etc. Do you think they will duplicate this with a 186mph line ? I very much doubt it.
It will be BRILLIANT news when the first sod is cut.
Gasmon _________________ Constantus excrementia et level variatum
Were allways in the sh|t, its only the depth that varies
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:29 am Post subject: Re: New British High Speed Railway Routes
GASMON wrote:
Trans-pennine & NE-SW important routes, as would be a couple more east-west high-speed routes linking to the north - south ones.
Oxford - Cambridge would have been a good choice, BUT there allready building a guided busway on the track bed at Cambridge, only for local use - criminal.
Tell you why I dont think it will happen, The west coast route (London-Birmingham-Liverpool-Manchester-Glasgow) line is having billions spent on it right now - 4 tracking 2 track sections in the midlands, etc. Do you think they will duplicate this with a 186mph line ? I very much doubt it.
It will be BRILLIANT news when the first sod is cut.
Gasmon
I knew the London-Manchester-Glasgow line was being upgraded, I didn't know it sabotaged a high speed link!
Sounds like the reopenning of the Cambridge-Oxford line is also being sabotaged, a misjudgement and very disappointing, but not as crucial to the UK's overall railway infrastructure perhaps.
I hope steam engines can run on high speed lines; it could be part of our low-tech future!
With luck Greater Manchester will get its congestion charging and the much needed 3 billion pounds ($US 6 billion) to spend on public transport.
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:18 am Post subject: Re: New British High Speed Railway Routes
energycity wrote:
I knew the London-Manchester-Glasgow line was being upgraded, I didn't know it sabotaged a high speed link!
Sounds like the reopenning of the Cambridge-Oxford line is also being sabotaged, a misjudgement and very disappointing, but not as crucial to the UK's overall railway infrastructure perhaps.
I hope steam engines can run on high speed lines; it could be part of our low-tech future!
With luck Greater Manchester will get its congestion charging and the much needed 3 billion pounds ($US 6 billion) to spend on public transport.
In the above, it is said,
Network Rail is unlikely to specify which new lines should be high-speed because speed will be one of the issues examined in the review, for which the company is seeking a consultant. While high-speed trains generally emit less carbon dioxide per passenger for a journey than aircraft, faster trains emit CO2 far more than conventional-speed trains
So, may be steam trains back after all !!!!!!!!!
Seriously, Railways are the answer, especially for our small & overcrowded islands. Tramways, trolleybuses etc also for urban areas. Should be being built NOW. Some are, but not nearly enough.
Re congestion charge - Yes I'm all for it AS LONG as 100% of the money raised is spent on PUBLIC transport, and this is a big subject in itself. ("public" transport being privatley owned / run).
Gasmon _________________ Constantus excrementia et level variatum
Were allways in the sh|t, its only the depth that varies
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject: Re: New British High Speed Railway Routes
Unfortunately these lines will not be built. The coming economic collapse will mean that the government will not be able to afford these large capital projects as the social security budget will eat up all incoming revenue.
Given that most of the population will be unemployed and skint then passenger numbers will decline considerably and the existing lines will have adequate capacity.
Given that economic activity will never recover and lifestyles and behaviours will need to change, do we really need to be whisked along at 186mph to save ourselves an hour.
Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 2500 Location: Ye Olde Englande
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2008 5:27 pm Post subject: Re: New British High Speed Railway Routes
Great to see this.
Anything that encourages less car use is something I applaud.
However this surely means that already exorbitant train fares are just going to rise higher. _________________ "The age of excess is over. The age of entropy has begun"
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:24 am Post subject: Re: New British High Speed Railway Routes
stu wrote:
Great to see this.
Anything that encourages less car use is something I applaud.
However this surely means that already exorbitant train fares are just going to rise higher.
Yep, no doubt fares will shoot up, with booming demand and limited supply ... plus huge investment needed. But this rise in costs will be considerably less than the rise in the cost of owning any sort of personal vehicle and driving.
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:40 am Post subject: Re: New British High Speed Railway Routes
Well from a peak oil perspective I would think that revitalising branch lines is of far more importance. Another critical area would be increasing freight volumes by whatever means possible.
New highspeed railways are a luxuary for an energy rich nation, not a necessity for a world in depletion.
Electrifying the West Mainlines to Swansea and Cornwall and getting them to titling trains would be one of the few intercity routes Id agree to see a big cash spend on. Hmmm ok transpennine as well.
With crossrail slotted to cost £16 billion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossrail
I wonder if it is really value for money. The Jubilee Line Extention only cost £3.5 billion so I wonder if another tube line would not be able to do the job, or better yet a couple of tram routes. The cost of linking Paddington to Liverpool street by tram would be vastly smaller than tunneling an entire new rail link. The money saved could build an entire new network throught central london, of trams to relieve pressure on the tube and busses.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
News
Discussions
Resources
Members
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
