HS2

[Philw]

Just a thought, did I really go from Rotterdam to Amsterdam on a double decker train in 1985.

Those Dutch double-decker trains are ace. Shows how far behind the UK's rail system is really.

They have them all over the world, especially around Europe, and in the US. I would postulate that actually it's the UK once being so far ahead that is the problem, much line the London Underground. Because we were one of the first to build it, now many tunnels/bridges etc are simply too small to allow anything bigger than the trains/tubes we currently have, so it would be literally impossible to put bigger trains etc on the lines.

I am sorry, but you are wrong. As are most people. It should never have been called High Speed. The whole point of it isn't speed. There's far too many people with opinions who do not understand what they are talking about.

Haha, there's a surprise! Could apply to 90% of posts in 90% of threads I reckon!!

 

[Hickson9]

They have them all over the world, especially around Europe, and in the US. I would postulate that actually it's the UK once being so far ahead that is the problem, much line the London Underground. Because we were one of the first to build it, now many tunnels/bridges etc are simply too small to allow anything bigger than the trains/tubes we currently have, so it would be literally impossible to put bigger trains etc on the lines.


Haha, there's a surprise! Could apply to 90% of posts in 90% of threads I reckon!!

Exactly right. It would take too much money and be too disruptive to have double decker rolling stock on the network.

They also don't necessarily increase the available capacity on the network either, against faster trains running in close order.

 

[GwladysPhil]

I am sorry, but you are wrong. As are most people. It should never have been called High Speed. The whole point of it isn't speed. There's far too many people with opinions who do not understand what they are talking about. Plus you absolutely cannot simply just 'upgrade' the entire UK rail system. That would cost even more.

The 'HS2 rail is 100% needed to take the Intercity trains off of the WCML to then allow capacity to be increased on the WCML with the potential to increase train numbers by 3-400%.

Also £100 billion over the next 25 years isn't really a lot of money when Boris said he wants to spend an extra £20 billion a year on infrastructure.

No it's not needed, a northern cross rail for example would be much more beneficial to the UK econcomy than another mainline to London.

How on earth does upgrading our current fleet/routes compare to what it's costing? Check out what John Bishop got for his house and it won't even be built on for potentially decades. Mersey rail are paying Half a bill to upgrade as we speak.

Infrastructure is more than just trains and one hundred billion is a lot of money. I can imagine you work for a contractor working on this sham.