HS2 in the press

[Haydn1971]

That never happens.



hock:

Isn't that what the Japanese thought ?

Just saying

 

[dggar]

That never happens.

hock:

So why did they rename Windscale?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windscale_fire

 

[Haydn1971]

Back on thread.... When's the next batch of preferred route announcements due - i.e. Confirmation of what Phase 1 will include, given the talk of Ph1 extension to Crewe, early start on Sheffield-Leeds etc, and the "final" Phase 2 route ?

 

[edwin_m]

(I don't think it's arguable to be honest, HS2 is a different kettle of fish because it stretches across vast lengths of the country and directly affects so many more people than a power station will ever do)

If I'm wrong someone will correct me, but I don't believe a new motorway needs a Hybrid Bill either.

 

[Snapper]

If I'm wrong someone will correct me, but I don't believe a new motorway needs a Hybrid Bill either.

No, it doesn't. The world was very different when Hybrid Bills were conceived.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
A new Hs2 blog can be found here http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2311445#post2311445
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
My latest blog on Hs2 and the antis ridiculous claims about Redcar steelworks can be found here...http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2313944#post2313944

 

[Snapper]

My latest blog on the Bow groups 'new' report that claims reopening old railways means we don't need Hs2 can be found here;

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2327518#post2327518
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New Hs2 blog on the death of 51M..

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2330113#post2330113

 

[Ironside]

If I'm wrong someone will correct me, but I don't believe a new motorway needs a Hybrid Bill either.

It doesn't.

 

[Snapper]

My latest blog on the failure of the anti Hs2 campaign to make any progress over the party conference season can be found here;

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2332848#post2332848
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New blog on the anti Hs2 mobs cynical exploitation of steelworkers woes can be found here...http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2334485#post2334485

 

[Geezertronic]

My latest blog on the failure of the anti Hs2 campaign to make any progress over the party conference season can be found here;

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2332848#post2332848
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
New blog on the anti Hs2 mobs cynical exploitation of steelworkers woes can be found here...http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2334485#post2334485

Quite ironic really. They really must think before tweeting

 

[Snapper]

Quite ironic really. They really must think before tweeting

Most of them stopped thinking years ago. They're desperate enough to say anything & try anything now. They know the game's up. Whilst they do nothing but rant on social media the Hs2 Hybrid Bill Ctte are cracking on dealing with petitions.

 

[po8crg]

Paul, do you have an estimate for when the committee will hear the last petition?

You could do a countdown of number of petitions still to be heard.

 

[Snapper]

Paul, do you have an estimate for when the committee will hear the last petition?

You could do a countdown of number of petitions still to be heard.

I wish I could. I have asked the Ctte this but the problem is the Additional Provisions (AP) petitions that are still coming in, so there's no finite number available yet. Once the AP's come to an end we may be able to do that.
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My latest blog on why the anti Hs2 social media campaign's a disaster can be found here;
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2338018#post2338018

 

[Geezertronic]

It's rather a contradiction isn't it. People want to get the most for their property but then it's a classic emotive headline that a lot has been spent on the purchase of property on the route.

For those who sold up only to have the route changed on them, they should have the option of purchasing the property back at the sale price - and then blame Joe Rukin

 

[quantinghome]

I see that the national rail conference is being held in Leeds tomorrow with HS2 as the main subject. Claire Perry (Rail Minister) is due to give a speech. I don't know if this heralds an announcement about HS2 and Leeds station, but it would appear to be the right place to do so. Anyone heard anything?

 

[WatcherZero]

2nd quarterly Polling of 350 business leaders by the Business Growth Fund

50% of those in the North want HS2 with 40% against and 10% undecided, 66% of those in London are in favour. Nationally 60% support HS2.

60% of those in the North think it should start in the north and move south while 33% of those in London think it should start in the north.

69% in the North want investment focused on physical infrastructure like roads and rail while 31% want investment in digital infrastructure like Broadband. 49% of those in London and the South east want investment in physical infrastructure and 49% want investment in digital infrastructure with 2% undecided.

71% in the North are in favour of Heathrow runway 3 and 60% think there should be just as much investment in regional airports. 74% of London business leaders are in favour of runway 3 while 48% think there should be just as much investment in regional airports.

90% in the North are opposed to railway renationalisation compared to 83% nationally.

The number of people in London who think the economy is still growing is around 50% which is down 30% on last quarter.

 

[Snapper]

New blog looking at the anti Hs2 campaign's numbers can be found here...http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2354724#post2354724

 

[WatcherZero]

http://www.cityam.com/228237/tree-of-the-year-2015-in-line-to-be-felled-to-make-room-for-hs2?

Words just fail me, stop hs2 action group manage to get a tree they know will be chopped down elected tree of the year, just so they can then complain about it being cut down.

 

[dggar]

http://www.cityam.com/228237/tree-of-the-year-2015-in-line-to-be-felled-to-make-room-for-hs2?

Words just fail me, stop hs2 action group manage to get a tree they know will be chopped down elected tree of the year, just so they can then complain about it being cut down.

Will it still be Tree of the Year next year?
Should there be a campaign to choose another tree when nominations open up again?

 

[306024]

Will it still be Tree of the Year next year?
Should there be a campaign to choose another tree when nominations open up again?

According to the city am article it is in the running for European tree of the year with the winner announced next year. Can't wait :neutral:

 

[Snapper]

Latest blog on the anti Hs2 mobs failing campaign can be found here.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2360400#post2360400

Does this sound like people who're getting anywhere?

 

[WatcherZero]

Prepare for fire, the current cost of HS2 is 2011 indexed (with some updates) but HST Ltd are about to publish a 2026 indexed price :P

Gonna get tired of explaining to people 15 years of inflation adjustment is not a rise in the cost of a third.

 

[CdBrux]

According to the Indy the cost for phase 1 up from £21bn (2011 prices) to close to £30bn. This rise is ahead of inflation due to rising contruction costs and difficulties in finding enough well trained engineers etc...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-a-third-higher-than-previously-a6734746.html

key passage from article (IMO):

Previously, the London-to-Birmingham link was forecast at £21.4bn, but this was at 2011 prices. The new estimate is designed to reflect better what will have been spent at real prices when the first phase starts carrying passengers at speeds of up to 250mph in 2026. This figure is understood to be in the high twenties of billions.

Known as the “out-turn cost”, it takes account of the rising cost of construction which is being inflated by shortages of building materials and skilled engineering and project management staff. This construction inflation is higher than the general RPI and CPI measurements of inflation, which partly explains the huge increase in the price tag.

It is understood that the cost of the entire railway, including the trains and the phase two link from Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester, is likely to be £70bn to £80bn, up from £50bn in 2011 prices.

 

[jon0844]

So the anti HS2 mob will say it's £140-160bn then.

Just think if we'd already started the project. Maybe we can bill the anti HS2 brigade for the extra costs from all their attempts to delay.

 

[edwin_m]

According to the Indy the cost for phase 1 up from £21bn (2011 prices) to close to £30bn. This rise is ahead of inflation due to rising contruction costs and difficulties in finding enough well trained engineers etc...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-a-third-higher-than-previously-a6734746.html

key passage from article (IMO):

Isn't this exactly what WatcherZero was warning of in the preceding post? £21bn to £28bm would indeed be a third.

 

[The Ham]

According to the Indy the cost for phase 1 up from £21bn (2011 prices) to close to £30bn. This rise is ahead of inflation due to rising contruction costs and difficulties in finding enough well trained engineers etc...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-a-third-higher-than-previously-a6734746.html

key passage from article (IMO):

The inflation costs of any construction project are different to the normal CPI and RPI inflation costs for instance the CPI figure for 2012 was 2.8% whilst construction tender price index rose by a little more than 2.87%. Although 0.07% isn't much in one year it can add up over time as between 2005 and 2012 the construction tender price index was about 10% higher than CPI ad stood at about 33%.

If construction projects can see growth of 33% in 7 years when times are variable (remembering that this included 2008 which was the start of the crunch and saw lots of projects paused) then a growth rate of a similar amount over 15 years seams good value to me.

Also it should be noted that between 2011 and 2015 the amount of support from the government to the railways as fallen by about 22%, this means that by 2023 if it continues to fall at 22% for each 4 years then the cost of support to the railways would have fallen by more than half since 2011 and by about £1.3bn per year.

Therefore, even if the cost of HS2 goes up to £3bn per year if the total cost of supporting the rest of the railways goes down by £1bn per year the total cost spent on all elements of the railway will still be about £4.5bn per year, or the same cost as was expected in 2011.

 

[Camden]

Lol OK!

 

[Snapper]

My new blog on Hs2 costs and what they men, plus a delightful irony - can be found here;

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2374317#post2374317
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My monthly round up of what's going on (or rather what's not) with the anti Hs2 campaign can be found here..

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=2377767#post2377767

 

[Wavertreelad]

Birmingham to Crewe Section HS2 to open six years early according to the BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34958154

 

[The Planner]

We were expecting this one to come out last week, obviously with the autumn statement and Hendy they held off a bit.

 

[Polarbear]

There's also a report (albeit a brief one) on the BBC News site regarding the relocation of the Leeds HS2 station so that it's intergrated with the existing station - link here http://http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-34962062

Plans to integrate Leeds' proposed HS2 station with the city's existing railway station have been announced.
Dubbed "The Yorkshire Hub", the proposal has been put forward in favour of plans to build on the south bank of the River Aire.
A report by HS2 boss Sir David Higgins said the original location in New Lane was "too isolated" and "too detached".
Leeds councillor Keith Wakefield said he hoped the new station would become a "St Pancras in the North".

The report considered three options; incorporating HS2 into the existing station, building a new integrated station, or building a new station in New Lane.
Sir David said the preferred integrated option "connects HS2 and existing rail services through a common concourse, allows for the growth in Northern Powerhouse rail and local services, and provides easy access to the city centre and motorway network, whilst creating the potential for a landmark architectural statement".
In a letter, regional civic and business leaders said: "The proposed Leeds hub station, integrating HS2, Northern Powerhouse rail and improved local and regional rail services will transform the economy of Leeds and the city region.
"We now need to make this a reality and create a transport hub the nation can be proud of."
Mr Wakefield, the transport committee chairman for West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said: "This is great news for Leeds. Our aspiration should be St Pancras in the North."
The proposed high-speed rail link was originally due to stretch from London to Birmingham by 2026, and then reach Manchester and Leeds by 2033.
But Sir David proposed speeding up the £50 billion project last year.
The announcement came on the same day Chancellor George Osborne said the proposed high-speed rail link between Birmingham and Crewe will be opened six years earlier than planned, in 2027.

To me, this sounds sensible as to have a terminal station that's not connected to the majority of the transport network would have negated some of the benefit of the reduced journey times afforded by HS2.