Did you know?

In case you missed it…
The Chief Executive of England’s HS2 project has resigned. Originally scheduled for completion in 2026, this slightly faster train-set will now not be running into Euston Station until 2041 at the very earliest. The estimated cost of HS2 back in 2015 was an eye-watering £56billion. However, the cost of England’s HS2 project has now skyrocketed to a disgusting £106billion. That’s £106,000,000,000 with ten zeros. Just for a wee train line that goes from the middle of little England down to almost the bottom.
While some MPs are claiming the UK government doesn’t know what it’s doing, their spineless lackeys in the Britnat Press are labelling this scandal simply as “the CEO is leaving as construction moves into an exciting new stage”.
But never mind all that getting taken for pure mugs nonsense… Have you heard about those ferries up north?

Is tere ANYTHING on Britnat news that can be trusted?

Apples and pears

We should be so lucky - two buses an hour? 😁

Actually, I agree with you about HS2 but has it gone too far along the tracks to reverse it?
(Sorry for the pun)

X post, I will read the other posts.

Oreo

Apples and pears

But, if we're discussing just apples, there is no train line connecting South to North Wales.

Wow Callistemon that’s a whole pineapple😄
It’s a devolved matter presumably.

I despair. HS2 was a stupid vanity project from the start, unpopular with the public and specially those whose landscape and buildings would be destroyed.
If only some of that money could have been used to upgrade existing rail lines.
Is it too late to stop it?

2041!?

The problem is that a project can reache a tipping point where it is cheaper to complete it than to dismantle it and, unfortunately, HS2, is just such a project and it has passed that point.

Now with the Scottish ferries, there are ship builders all round the world who have standard ferries that they are producing, almost like shelling peas - and at a fraction of the price of the Feguson's contract from the start. According to DH, who is a a Naval Architect, and still working, it would still be cheaper to scrap the hulks in the Ferguson yard and buy a couple of ferries off the assembly line at a Polish or other shipyard.

Of course it is Oreo its Westminster against Holyrood ...and thats what the current campaign against anything/all SNP govt policies is about .IF if was WM,...anyone remember the billions spent on tanks that are sitting unuseable somewhere in deepest England...? NO? Strange isn't it Monica There must be someone somewhere who could have built them for a fraction of the price and had them working by now .or any of Westminsters many very expensive mistakes? Or is it just taken for granted that they spend your/OUR money how they like.The thing is Monica WE have to pay a share of all WM projects...even the ones we wont need or use ,Like London sewers,or crossrail,how many billions over and years late was THAT great idea? Thats the mythical black hole they tell us Scotland has.
The ferries come out of OUR budget paid for by US .Who'd have thought it eh? We pay for our own stuff.our Queensferry crossing brought under budget a bit late ,due to the death of a worker but still under budget ,the reopening of outlying Train stations....never mentioned in the news ,paid for from our budget so why cant England support itself ? Why are we told we're incapable of running our own country when Westminster is destroying yours?

We are suffering, as Steve Brine MP (Tory) said today, from 'long Boris'.

I had a quick look to see the cost of the tgv network in France. 4 billion euros, although it was several years ago so would be more at today's prices.

The French do manage to get stuff done on time I think. When the disastrous fire hit Notre Dame Macron promised to get the cathedral repaired in 5 years. He proudly announced a few months ago that completion is on track.

I didn't know that paddyann. It's depressing.

Loads of other countries have high speed trains. I don't really see why it has been such an issue. I'm in favour of bullet trrains galore.

And I agree about apples and pears (Oreo). The Scottish ferry fiasco is a Scottish devolved problem. The ferries near us are inadequate.

Baggs

Loads of other countries have high speed trains. I don't really see why it has been such an issue. I'm in favour of bullet trrains galore.

And I agree about apples and pears (Oreo). The Scottish ferry fiasco is a Scottish devolved problem. The ferries near us are inadequate.

Yes, they have

But we're always so slow off the mark to get anything done, then everyone argues about everything and then it ends up costing five times as much as the estimates.

Other countries get on with it.

Oreo the running of the trains is devolved but the infrastructure and building of the network is not (I think).

M0nica

The problem is that a project can reache a tipping point where it is cheaper to complete it than to dismantle it and, unfortunately, HS2, is just such a project and it has passed that point.

Now with the Scottish ferries, there are ship builders all round the world who have standard ferries that they are producing, almost like shelling peas - and at a fraction of the price of the Feguson's contract from the start. According to DH, who is a a Naval Architect, and still working, it would still be cheaper to scrap the hulks in the Ferguson yard and buy a couple of ferries off the assembly line at a Polish or other shipyard.

Yes, both of these

Oh look, a squirrel!

Paddyanne It is no skin off my nose, the sooner you(Scotland) are gone the better,. Thankfully my Scottish ancestors went off to Ulster as soon as they could, late 17th century. They were too honest, I assume.

At least HS2 isn't enmired in accusations of massive corruption and fraud, nor will be paying 3, 4 or more times the going price for it, but, hey, its your money to waste.

Grantonow - " long Boris": made me smile ☺!

There were other Buffoon schemes - the garden bridge across the Thames, an airport on the Thames estuary and a bridge or tunnel from Scotland to Northern Ireland. Thankfully they have gone into oblivion.

' This is the HS2 from somewhere outside of Central London. Please make sure you have all your luggage with you and be ready to show your ticket to the robot conductor. This train will next call at Oblivion. Take care when alighting from the train as the platforms have not yet been built.'