FLY2 10,109 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 Toton has been chosen as the preferred location for the HS2 . I'm not convinced we need it and what benefits are there for Nottingham ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 Prestigious progect Complete waste of money? No money for the Minland Main Line electrification ??????????????????????? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 And it's not about getting to Nottingham/Derby quicker but about getting to LONDON quicker. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 How much quicker tho ? Only a few minutes I believe. Is the cost really justified ? I don't think so. Another "White Elephant" just like the tram. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bubblewrap 3,815 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 Then you've got to get from Toton to Nottingham...................so in the end no quicker. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,109 Posted July 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 Don't worry, it's going to take 20 years to implement. I doubt many of us will see it in use. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hippo girl 1,995 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 I hope I'm around to see it !!!!???LOL 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,109 Posted July 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 Me too. !!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Smiffy49 590 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 Toton, not a bad choice as it had to go somewhere and it was / still is an existing rail hub, can anyone remember the Toton Hump? 20 years to complete... wonder what the UK population will be by then? I assume they have put all of this into their equations? Perhaps by then the East Midlands will be classed as another country within the UK, with Nottingham as its capital ! Can you imagine it, people trying to board trains or trucks on the border to try and escape the from south and get a better life. Our new Nottingham government could even re-instate the GCR and rebuild the Vic Station (plenty of pics & plans around). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
barclaycon 569 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 We don't need HS2. I don't believe it will ever be built. Network rail can't even afford to complete current rail projects (which only really amount to maintenance !) and if they are able to get billions of pounds for projects like HS2, wouldn't it be better spent upgrading the current rail network? My brother lives in Breaston and he receives no end of publicity, predictions and proposals about HS2. Quite frankly they are laughable. The billions that HS2 is going to add to the economy ? Not based on any facts and figures - just aspirations. The Northern Powerhouse? Where would that be ? There isn't a northern powerhouse and a new railway line isn't particularly going to create one. The ability of people to zip between Birmingham and Sheffield or Leeds ? To do what - and at what cost ? Here in London lots of people commuting into town have to spend 15% of their income on train fares. Have you seen how much it costs to get a train in the morning from Notts to say, Manchester ? HS2 is going to improve that ? There are more basic things - like reviving manufacturing. And, as far the railways are concerned, getting freight back on there and making it more affordable, integrated and reliable; moving goods around and getting people to work - like they used to. I remember Toton when it was an enormous hub and distribution centre. I think all that infrastructure is still there - why on earth they were considering Breaston as a place to build a massive marshalling yard I don't know. But then again I don't think HS2 will happen. Let's face it - they talked about electrifying the line upto Derby for decades and that never happened! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
terence12 725 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 in these days when business men can contact each other within minutes using Skype, or hold meetings using tablets, laptops, iphones etc. and in time to come these technologies will get better and faster why would anyone want to spend billions of pounds building a system that will take, when completed, (sic), hours to take businessmen to meetings etc. families using train transport to meet each other aint bothered about an extra hour or so on the train, i think the extra cost, to cover the building of the system will not be missed on ticket sales. Also as with the Motorway, what about maintenance work, upkeep of all the infrastructure and once started, as always happens, what about finishing on budget, on time and anyone, don't care how clever or knowledgable they are, who thinks this will be built at the planned cost/time, who thinks it will is barmy. it is said 2015 it will power the north bringing work, money, etc. taking over 15, 20, 25, 30 years to complete by 2045 sy, the whole rail, road, air network will have to be re built. me as you all know i aint clever, bottom of the ladder, dullest knife in the drawer and so on but even i can see this is, will be, the biggest white elephant ever. thats my opinion, for what its worth. But Government, no matter which, is so arrogant they will pursue their white elephants no matter what. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
terence12 725 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 sorry about post #11, sort of rambled a bit, but i know what i meant, hope you all can decipher it, it just makes me mad that there is so much wrong these days that could be put better using cash that these (clever), blokes want to spend on so called faster, better schemes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StephenFord 866 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 Sorry - I'm not a curmudgeon on this one! It should have happened 20 years ago, and since it didn't it should happen now. What is more, the money that was wasted trying to prop up the West Coast Main Line should have been spent on this. The French have high speed railways. The Italians, the Germans, the Spanish, the Japanese, the Chinese, the Turks for goodness sake, the Koreans, and soon the Moroccans. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
barclaycon 569 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 The French and the Germans still have a culture of sending freight around the country by railway, and, relatively speaking, the passenger fares are affordable. The Italian rail system is in a shocking state - apart from a few prestige lines like Rome to Milan. Most of the other lines are fairly slow due to the state of the infrastructure, but again, the fares are reasonable. It's more the fact that other countries value their rail networks as important conduits for goods and enabling people to move around. We lost all of that in the 60's, 70's and 80's, culminating in rail privatisation where the government tried to absolve itself of responsibility and turn railways over to profiteering private companies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 #13. Is this project just to satisfy the whims of the train buffs then ! If so let them pay for it. The way rail travel is going no one will be able to afford to travel on it after the country is put into enormous debt paying for it's construction. Is the cost really justified ? Show me where, I'd love to know. My thoughts are it is only a train buffs pipe dream paid by us all. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,109 Posted July 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 I'm a train buff Catfan, and I'm totally against it. A complete waste of money and is unecessary . I very much doubt if anyone from Notts or Derby will patronise it. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DavidA 153 Posted July 15, 2015 Report Share Posted July 15, 2015 I'm a great fan of rail travel, but this project is a right waste of money. You can get from Nottingham to London by rail in under two hours. Why spend billions to knock off a few minutes? They'd be better using the massive sum to reopen closed lines and to update those that are run down. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BilboroughShirley 1,120 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 I have a happy memory of being 6 years old and catching a steam train from Victoria Station to Leeds. The engine let off steam and it was exciting. In those days we had two stations in the city centre to serve the public and the public used it. Since then our rail system has been decimated and neglected. When I travel to Birmingham I catch a very early train just to get a seat. Coming home at the end of the day the train is packed and I believe dangerous at times, even though there are few coaches and it costs more to travel at commuting times. On one journey we were told over the PA system to stand even closer together so more people could get on the train! HS2 standard of service is needed in this country to move into the future, and indeed catch up with other countries, however I believe the way it is being implemented will lead to a two tier system with a fast expensive service for the few and the rest of us will still be crammed into old coaches. The planners are not in touch with the travelling public. The railway system in Holland is impressive. The double decker trains (that need higher bridges) mean you get a seat and there is enough room for your luggage. Luggage space on our trains is totally inadequate. More effort should be put into considering the regular rail users and their needs. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,109 Posted July 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 That implies that the decision was made years ago. It was a foregone conclusion then. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 Nice conspiracy theory FLY ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted July 16, 2015 Report Share Posted July 16, 2015 Well the tram does terminate very close to Toton sidings, so there may well be something in that suggestion Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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