HS2

[melmerby]

4 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

"does that rather strange gradient change actually exist?"

I noticed it too.

There is a quite noticeable gradient down into New Street but I think the camera viewpoint makes the change of gradient. seem more extreme than it is.

Jonathan

There is a noticeable dip in the track from Grand Junction, under Park Street, before it rises again into New St Station.

(The gradient out towards Monument Lane is steep enough to have needed bankers in the day of steam.)

According to this: https://www.railwaydata.co.uk/linefiles/route/?ELR=RBS1

 

It drops at 1:51 for 240metres, before rising again at 1:58 for 338 metres.

Edited January 24, 2023 by melmerby

[The Stationmaster]

On 24/01/2023 at 12:28, corneliuslundie said:

"does that rather strange gradient change actually exist?"

I noticed it too.

There is a quite noticeable gradient down into New Street but I think the camera viewpoint makes the change of gradient. seem more extreme than it is.

Jonathan

On the Midland side it went from 1in 93 rising  to 1in57 falling at Proof House while the LNW side it was 1 in 77 falling.   Presumably it changed a bit with electrification and the1960s  reconstruction of New St but there are some steep gradients and noticeable changes of gradient involved in that approach to New St.

[jamie92208]

Keith Hoffmeister has posted another of his Chilterns construction videos covering from WestvRuislip to the Calvert maintenance depot.  His voice doesn't get any better but the pictures are very interesting.

 

Jamie

[Ron Ron Ron]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

Keith Hoffmeister has posted another of his Chilterns construction videos covering from WestvRuislip to the Calvert maintenance depot.  His voice doesn't get any better but the pictures are very interesting……

 

Unfortunately, a lot of that content and the associated photos, are from last spring and summer, so are quite a bit out of date.

Some photos are more recent, including those of the Colne Valley viaduct, but still not up to date or showing the latest situation.

Mr Hoffmeister also appears to be clinging on to the fear that all the local rivers and streams are going to disappear “down the holes” being burrowed underground.

They haven’t so far and it’s extremely unlikely they will, over the remaining 45% of the Chiltern tunnelling.

 

I did learn something though, regarding the construction method for the intervention shaft and it’s sinking caissons.

 

 

 

.

Edited January 25, 2023 by Ron Ron Ron

[Ron Ron Ron]

Old Oak Common Station

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[lmsforever]

Went to Wendover today and the diversion road is coming on with speed  a lot of work going on around Stoke Manderville, as you drop down the hill into Wendover the amount of work around the town is increasing . But the mud looks horrible to work in rather them and not me!

[melmerby]

There was a report on BBC 10 o'clock news that HS2 might not go to Euston but be terminated in "West London" (I assume OOC).

The government haven't apparently denied the report.

 

Edited January 26, 2023 by melmerby

[2ManySpams]

17 minutes ago, melmerby said:

There was a report on BBC 10 o'clock news that HS2 might not go to Euston but be terminated in "West London" (I assume OOC).

The government haven't apparently denied the report.

 

 

Somebody better tell all the folk working at Euston and the line north to stop working then!

[melmerby]

9 minutes ago, 2ManySpams said:

 

Somebody better tell all the folk working at Euston and the line north to stop working then!

I could scarcely believe what I was hearing.

The suggestion was that they would concentrate on getting it finished to OOC (I assume) and possibly continue on to Euston later.

Sounds like a perfect recipe for producing a white elephant.

It would mean a much reduced service and I assume retaining some fast trains on the WCML out of Euston

 

Strangely I can't find anything on the BBC news website.

Edited January 26, 2023 by melmerby

[martin_wynne]

1 hour ago, melmerby said:

Strangely I can't find anything on the BBC news website

 

Try https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-64421168

 

Scroll down to The Sun. Perhaps that's the BBC's source?

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

If they think they can offload all London bound passengers arriving on HS2, onto the Elizabeth Line; they better take note that it's already overcrowded at peak times.

The EL had carried 32 million passengers since through running started, by December. More than had been expected.

Instead of 2 million weekly journeys being made, it has been carrying 3.5 million per week..

 

The Evening Standard and BBC News report that at peak times, passengers heading into Central London, from stations in West London such as Ealing Broadway, are often left behind as the trains are rammed.

The volume of luggage laden passengers from Heathrow being a highlighted issue.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64373366

 

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/elizabeth-line-crossrail-line-crowds-delays-ealing-west-london-b1055455.html

 

 

.

[Ron Ron Ron]

2 hours ago, melmerby said:

There was a report on BBC 10 o'clock news that HS2 might not go to Euston but be terminated in "West London" (I assume OOC).

The government haven't apparently denied the report.

 

 

OOC is already planned to open before Euston.

That's in the programme, because it'll take longer to complete the tunnels between the two.

A reduced inaugural service will see trains reversing at OOC, for a period of time.

I can't remember how much later it'll be before the full service to Euston can commence.

Has somebody misinterpreted that fact?

 

On the other hand, have the twerps at the Treasury thought they've found a way to save a few shekels ?

 

 

.

 

 

[martin_wynne]

54 minutes ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

On the other hand, have the twerps at the Treasury thought they've found a way to save a few shekels ?

 

HS2 coming along nicely after revised Treasury costings:

 

 

Martin.

[rogerzilla]

5 hours ago, martin_wynne said:

 

HS2 coming along nicely after revised Treasury costings:

 

 

Martin.

I like the way they've preserved ancient trees where possible, and also included a modern noise barrier.  Is that curvature good for 200mph?

[2ManySpams]

7 hours ago, martin_wynne said:

 

Try https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-64421168

 

Scroll down to The Sun. Perhaps that's the BBC's source?

 

 

A bit more here but hard to believe?: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64421566

[DY444]

24 minutes ago, 2ManySpams said:

 

A bit more here but hard to believe?: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64421566

 

The BBC has been fiercely anti-HS2 since the start and has not wasted any opportunity to denigrate it when given the chance.  You see that here because it is not even their own reporting, it is essentially parroting (with glee) something in the Sun.  My policy is to ignore any BBC piece that uses the term "commuters" to mean "passengers" as this one does as it seems the BBC believes only commuters use trains.  That in turn suggests the writers of these pieces don't have a clue.  I suspect this story is a mixture of Chinese whispers, 2 + 2 = 5, off the record mischief making in Westminster and Whitehall by the anti-HS2 factions and a bit of wishful thinking.

 

Not continuing to Euston would be extremely stupid both strategically and given the amount of work already done, however there is clearly negativity towards the railways at present from Government and this may be an inference derived from that.  On the flip side however it is said that the present Chancellor is a strong supporter so that needs to be factored in.  Interestingly though, despite his party's policy on HS2 and having been quiet on the subject in recent months, the leader of the opposition opposed it from the start and has voted against it in the Commons.  His constituency includes Euston.      

Edited January 27, 2023 by DY444

[Phil Parker]

Not going to Euston would leave the government with swathes of very high value land in London. Land that could be sold off to "friends" very cheaply. Call me cynical if you like, but you can see how it would work. 

It could also presage the complete cancellation of the line as a final, desperate sop to voters in the shires ahead of a electon. 

[rogerzilla]

If they cancel it, Sustrans might be interested in re-purposing it as a really wide cycleway 😄

[melmerby]

2 minutes ago, rogerzilla said:

If they cancel it, Sustrans might be interested in re-purposing it as a really wide cycleway 😄

Nah

A new guided busway.

London to Birmingham in a Alexander Dennis 400MMC, they could tow the luggage behind like the airport service buses used to.

[Pete the Elaner]

I heard on the news the other day that the cost "has escalated from £40bn to £64bn".

So what happened to the figure of £102bn we heard being quoted not so long ago?

 

As usual, it seems the media choose their figures to support what they want to say.

[melmerby]

9 minutes ago, Pete the Elaner said:

I heard on the news the other day that the cost "has escalated from £40bn to £64bn".

So what happened to the figure of £102bn we heard being quoted not so long ago?

The cost will have risen, the current inflation is hitting construction quite hard. (The actual figures seem to depend on what's being included)

e.g. the Midland Metro Extension was supposedly fully funded for Wednesbury to BrierleyHill (Merry Hill) but is now only being completed to Dudley, with the rest "when further funding is secured"

This despite some work already ongoing along thatb section.

[GoingUnderground]

HS2 not going to Euston. 😅🤣😂

 

Makes a farce of the whole project. Shades of the economy airlines offering flights between cities but actually flying between airports well away from the named cities. 

 

Reminds me of the urban myth of the cabbie who picked up tourists new to England at London Heathrow who wanted to go to Birmingham. He took the punters to the M1 at Watford where he dropped them off, telling them that they could walk from there as Birmingham was 'just up the road'. 

 

And the story is also being carried by the Guardian. 

 

It's not surprising that the cost is soaring. Construction equipment doesn't run on fresh air, and cement needs a lot of energy just to make it, as does steel. Just look at your most recent gas or electric bill and compare the unit cost per kwh to what you were paying a year ago. 

Edited January 27, 2023 by GoingUnderground

[APOLLO]

Does cancelling / postponing HS2 Euston make that much difference ? Virtually everybody arriving at Euston has an onward journey of some sort, bus, taxi, tube - I bet not that many walk except perhaps to St Pancras or Kings Cross.

 

What a shambles this government is.

 

Brit15

Edited January 27, 2023 by APOLLO

[Phil Parker]

2 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

Does cancelling / postponing HS2 Euston make that much difference ?

 

According to one rail industry comentator on the radio, it basically defeates the main point of HS2. Good news for a government that wants to scrap it as a sop to the shires ahead of an election.

 

3 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

Virtually everybody arriving at Euston has an onward journey of some sort, bus, taxi, tube - I bet not that many walk except perhaps to St Pancras or Kings Cross.

 

St Pancras, where Eurostar leaves from. If people in the north aspire to travel to Europe by train, this might be an issue. But then no-one in Britian wants to have anything to do with Europe any more do they?

 

4 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

What a shambles this government is.

 

Not just the government. The whole country is rubbish.

[Edwin_m]

The penny doesn't seem to have dropped generally that OOC only has 6 HS2 platforms and Euston is being built with 10.  So some destinations in the north will have a much worse service if Euston isn't built.  As should be obvious to anyone who's been near the west side of Euston recently, construction is well under way so it's probably going to cost more to cancel than to complete.  The opposition could hire advertising space on the hoardings to point out that behind them lies a huge example of government ineptitude...