Baltasound
a. OK - I said I wouldn't respond on this thread as it has very little to do with aviation....
b. There will be a link between High Speed One and High Speed Two. So, let us bury that piece of misinformation.
c. learn the difference between track gauge and loading gauge. 4ft 8 1/2 is indeed standard gauge and used throughout Europe, and indeed we don't need to regauge our trains. However the British Loading gauge is smaller and narrower than it's continental cousins.
d. So to castigate the planners for not thinking ahead by missing out on a theoretical airport to replace(?), add capacity to Heathrow is, I dare to suggest, missing the point entirely.
e. HS2 is being built to relieve congestion in many cases. It's business case is dependant on the full Y to Manchester/ Leeds and then Scotland coming on stream. The reason why they have decided to build a new railway rather than faff with an old one (the WCML) is that it cost £10bn just to "upgrade" the West Coast - messing about with a heavily used, mixed traffic railway and trying to keep it open at the same time is asking for trouble as Railtrack found out. However taking it in and out of Heathrow is also asking for trouble and in the governments eyes, not worth the expense. If in doubt read Hansard.
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a. So the fate and location of the UK's largest airport has 'little to do with aviation'. You're not filling us with confidence about your level of wisdom here, Baltasound.
b. Ok, so there is a link between HS1 and HS2 - thanks for the map.
But I am still confused. If Chunnel trains call in at Kings Cross-St Pancras, and can then go on to Manchester, then why have two London termini?? If you want to catch the train to Manch, and then hopefully to Glasgow, why have a choice of two stations? It does not seem logical. We already have a TGV terminus at KC-SP, so why build another at Euston?
c. If you would have the courtesy to read my previous posts, you will find that I know that, and have diferentiated the two gauges on numerous occasions. The difference in loading gauge is only pertinent to the Chunnel and Crossrail, as all the other tracks will be new. One presumes that all the UK trains will be of the Chunnel loading gauge dimensions, to allow easy operability through to Europe.
d. They were planning a major infrastructure route that will have a service life of 100-200 years, they deserve to be castigated. As I said before, it is like planning the M25 with only 3 lanes, which was so obviously inadequate that a 6-year old could have done better.
e. Blah, blah. Yes, we know why HS2 needs a new track - and you could have added that it needs to be straighter and more accurately laid than the Current westcoast line - have you ever been on a TGV?
But the point is that a major transport project that does not go to where people want to travel, is like building a city in the Sahara. Honestly, would you build a new motorway and deliberately make it NOT go anywhere near any cities??
The only thing I can deduce from this, is that the government already knows that LHR is to be moved to Silver-Boris Island, and so there is no point taking HS2 all the way out to LHR, as there will not be an airport there to service. I presume, therefore, that the government will announce the Silver-Boris go-ahead shortly.
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