Ron Ron Ron

Are you Serious ?

Seriously though, I don't recall any environmental reasons being given for the change of plan (to put the line in a "green tunnel"), other than change of mind to keep the profile of the hillside the railway was cutting through. .

The photo of the vehicle shows it in the middle of the roadway, between the rows of parked cars. Reports say the car caught fire as it was moving and the driver stopped and quickly got out of the vehicle. Cars are packed in tightly in that car park, like in many others. It would only need an adjacent car to catch fire and the chain reaction would progress quickly, with fuel tanks exploding, as it was widely reported they did. It's hard to tell with the smoke in the photo released, but the tail lights of the suspect vehicle, a Range Rover Evoque, look like it's possibly a mk1 Evoque, in which case there was no hybrid version of that model sold. The totally new, 2nd generation (deliveries from 2019 onwards) comes with mild-hybrid Diesel engine options. The only plug-in hybrid offered, is petrol powered, not diesel. It looks like a private registration plate, so no clue as to the year of first registration. No doubt we'll learn the truth in the fullness of time. There are a couple of YouTube channels that are dedicated to spewing out anti-EV propaganda. One Australian and the other from the UK. The smarmy, sneering, arrogance of the presenters is sickly. You might be lead to believe, from the amount of content these channels put out, they might be "sponsored" in some way. Over this incident, their tone is that the press reports and fire brigade statements are covering up and lying ! A government cover up ! The worst type of conspiracy theory hysteria, which is typical of the mis-information, FUD and pure lies these people usually broadcast. .

The totally unnecessary and mega expensive Copthall tunnel, located at the London end of the Colne Valley viaduct, north of Uxbridge. The new road bridge, carrying a new diversion of Harvil Road, is well advanced and it looks like they're now starting to bury the first section of this "green tunnel". I've mentioned before, that this section of line was originally to be in a cutting, but a late change of plan and the chance to blast away g@d knows how many tens of £££ millions, if not hundreds of £££ millions, on a pointless tunnel, was obviously too good to miss. Note; there are no settlements within at least a km of this section and the nearest ones are closer to the open air sections of line to the east and west of the bit being put in the tunnel. Impressive engineering though. .

We can only speculate why they haven't introduced physical custom check areas. They may not consider the risks to be significant, they may have opted for discrete profiling of arriving passengers, or they may have unintentionally left a glaring hole in the customs border? That's an issue for them. We don't know if there is problem or not with smuggling etc, coming in from the UK. France in particular, has a vastly larger external border to worry about, where such illegal activities could take place. They have extensive land borders with their continental neighbours, the Mediterranean sea coast, Corsican coastline, a long Atlantic coast and entry via overseas territories, such as the Caribbean islands, which are part of domestic France and therefore in the EU. I am only guessing, but I suspect anything potentially coming from the UK, would be relatively "low risk" in comparison. In contrast, it's an entirely different scenario for the UK's borders. Our only land border, is with the ROI (which is open) and that's largely covered by the arrangements that protect the ROI's external sea and air borders. Apart from any smuggling around our coastline, the UK's major vulnerabilities are via the air and sea ports, .the shuttle terminus at Cheriton .........and St. Pancras International. I don't believe they can do away with a customs check point, but I agree with you and others on here, that the current facilities are badly arranged and overkill, in terms of the real estate they occupy. A redevelopment and major reworking of the departure and arrival hall facilities have been suggested by a few others, to put right both deficiencies in the original design and to cater for an increase in the number of passengers that can be handled. This is an issue of both poor, or outdated design and lack of passenger handling capacity. It has nothing to do with "ideology" or a "Fortress UK mentality". .

I have certainly not got the wrong end of the stick. Read my post properly and don't try to twist things around 180 degrees ! I stated exactly what you say in the second line I have quoted above . At no point did I say anything about that. You were ranting about some imagined "fortress UK", regarding the arrival formalities at St. Pancras. Which is exactly what is in place. I have not suggested otherwise. You were the one ranting about the presence of the arrival formalities. Now you are justifying their presence. Make your mind up. Which way do you want it ? So the situation has changed. The question should be, why do the French and Belgian authorities appear not to enforce customs checks, as required by the EU ? You do realise that there are limits on the transport of duty rateable goods, like alcohol & tobacco, across internal EU borders, between EU member states? Even for personal consumption. In other words, there's a limit of how much booze, fags etc, you can take from, for example, Germany into France, before you must pay duties over and above the relevant VAT and duties paid in the country of purchase (Germany in my example). The EU has recommended guidelines, but it's up to individual member states to set their own limits. When we were in the EU, there was still a limit on the amount of duty rateable goods, that could be brought into the UK, or taken out of the UK into France. It wasn't carte blanche. There was no such thing as Duty Free during this time. For duty rated goods bought in an EU country and imported into another EU country, it was and still is, tax and duties paid in the country of purchase and import free of additional taxes and duties, BUT only within the declared allowances of the importing state. Now we are no longer in the EU , the "allowance' has been reduced, but those goods can now be subject to a VAT refund. It isn't anything to do with whatever "ideology". St. Pancras is a port of entry to the UK. The UK carries out customs checks on goods being imported, as do most of the nations in the world. It's up to each country to decide how strictly they carry out such checks, how they enforce their declared rules and how they perceive the risk factor. As Hayfield asks, how else are certain issues to be dealt with, like declaring items, that should be declared? Should St. Pancras become an open door to smugglers and drug runners (I'm not saying it isn't at the moment) ? When we were in the EU, we had the "Blue" customs channel at airports. That was for arrivals from other EU countries. HMRC customs officers were still able to pull aside anyone passing through the Blue channel, if they thought it necessary. .

The customs facilities have nothing to do with border control, the passage and rights of entry or any imagined “Fortress UK“. They are there to police against smuggling, drug running and other illegal activities. It has nothing to do with passports and who is allowed to enter the country. Those checks are carried out prior to embarkation, in France or Belgium when inbound, and at St. Pancras leaving the UK. Most nations in the world employ similar customs checks, in one form or another. How stringently each of them apply such controls, is another matter. Again your ranting about “right wing” this that and the other, comes across as demented. Governments of both complexions, that have been “in power” over many decades, have maintained the appropriate customs controls. There is no doubt, that a change of government in the next 18 months or less, will not see any change to these arrangements. .

Ownership and operation of St. Pancras International and HS1 = HS1 Ltd. https://highspeed1.co.uk Managed by Network Rail High Speed Ltd, on behalf of HS1 Ltd. https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/our-routes/network-rail-high-speed/ .

Will they catch another financial cold, with their new Ammonia engine ? Geddit ? Hat, coat.......... whoooosh..... .

Lots of French made Renault bits in Sunderland built Nissans. .

Earlier this week, the first sections of the first of two TBM's to be used to bore the Northolt East tunnels, were lowered into the ventilation and access shaft, adjacent to the Victoria Rd. crossover box (just to the west of OOC). The Northolt East tunnels will be driven westbound from Victoria Rd., to Greenford, where they'll meet up with the Northolt West tunnels, that are currently being bored from West Ruislip to Greenford. I believe this is the HS2 Down line tunnel, which routes via the ventilation and access shaft, after leaving the Victoria Rd. crossover box, heading westbound. At the start of the video below, you can see the already established tunnel between the ventilation shaft and the crossover box...and the cross linking tunnel that will lead to the Up line tunnel. The rest of the TBM modules, will be lowered in via the crossover box and brought through the existing tunnel, to mate up with the cutting head and shield. .

Burton Green Tunnel. The only "green tunnel" that could be properly justified on Phase 1, in my humble, layman's opinion. This latest video, shows that the've started building down and excavating the cut and cover sections, NW of the old bridge. The temporary replacement for the bridge and road diversion, is almost complete. Once open, the old bridge can be demolished, the remaining excavation of the cutting finished and pile lining of the tunnel walls can be carried out. .

Well you never know ? The arrival of a new operator, may spark a redevelopment of the St. Pancras International, internal layout ? I imagine Eurostar might have been pressing for this already, in light of the issues and problems arising of late. I can't imagine they've been totally accepting of the situation and not making any sort of complaint? .

Different levels, with completely separate track. Originally, the whole of the existing 1960's Euston was to be rebuilt as a larger, totally new station, with all the existing track and platforms, replaced by a new platform layout at a lower level, extending well beyond the current buffers, under the present day concourse, stopping much closer to Euston Rd. The concept had the new concourse above the platforms. That concept was killed at birth, as being vastly too expensive and thought to be very high risk and probably majorly disruptive for years. The first official design, was then restricted to a separate, new HS2 extension to Euston, with 1 or 2 platforms of the existing station, being sacrificed to the new build section. HS2 tracks, still being built at a lower level to those in the current terminus. The 1960's station would then get a major make over. The design and planning of this, was quite advanced, when the Treasury ordered it to be scaled back, a couple of years ago. A reputed £100 million thrown down the drain, to "save money" !!!! By setting everything back, plus the delays and large cost increases caused by the pandemic, version 2, with fewer platforms and supposedly some "value engineering", has spiralled out of control due to what is being reported as several factors. Now we're faced with having only 6 platforms, with the likelihood of locking out any possibility of further capacity increases. AFAIUI, the track will still be separate and the new platforms set at the new lower level, unless there's a complete change of plan. IIRC, one difficulty is the narrow approach and fitting in the three tunnel portals and the associated, complex track layout, within a very narrow strip of available real estate. The tunnels will be located under the existing NR approach tracks, as well as to their side. The track already has to rise up quite a bit to the current planned elevation of the HS2 platforms. .

I thought they already have, by cancelling and ceasing to serve some of their routes, such as Disneyland and some of the alpine and southern French services? .

The German railways have been getting into a mess for a good few years now. DB reliability and punctuality is a running joke with many German's. .

A tiny bit more information on the story.... 12 Avelia HS trains being ordered from Alstom. https://evolyn.com/evolyn/f/evolyn-acquire-12-high-speed-trains-from-alstom-to-link-uk-and-ue https://www.railwaygazette.com/high-speed/evolyn-to-launch-paris-london-trains-in-competition-with-eurostar/65100.article https://news.sky.com/story/cross-channel-rail-competitor-evolyn-buys-12-trains-ahead-of-2025-launch-12982441 https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/planned-eurostar-competitor-evolyn-buy-12-trains-frances-alstom-2023-10-11/ Some examples of the Alstom Avelia range.... https://www.alstom.com/solutions/rolling-stock/avelia-high-speed-trains-best-way-travel-fast .

Except, in the majority of cases it usually gets flushed out, one way or the other. The public sector tends to either ignore it, cover it up, or shuffle the decks and move people around.

There are proposals to build stations on both the NLL and WLL, to serve OOC. The proposed NLL line station is situated on OOC Lane, just across the road and a short walking distance from the HS2 station complex. Unfortunately, the proposed WLL station is further away. Both these proposals lie outside of the HS2 remit and again, the DfT and Treasury have been averse, right from the very start, to the additional cost being added to HS2, or to creating a new programme to build these stations. TfL would like both built, but insist that the money should come from central government funds (the requirement stems from HS2 and TfL have no money). The government and DfT say it's a matter for TfL and again, stay silent on the matter. Any incoming government are going to have to direct whatever rail investment into the north and other regions, before either or both of these schemes could be considered now. A plan was floated early on, of deviating the WLL to the west of its current route over the GWML area, crossing over the Hitachi depot yard and GWML on a flyover and rejoining its original route, north of OOC. This would have enabled an elevated WLL station to be built at the eastern end and directly connected into the HS2 station. There was no way a positive business case could justify the expensive of such a development and the open land at Wormwood Scrubs, has been firmly declared untouchable, so this idea never formed part of any official proposal in the end. London Underground connections are more problematic than providing additional rail connections to the London Overground and I doubt they will happen for a long time into the foreseeable future. .

A line with a wide and tall enough gauge, that can accommodate double deck trains is being built (and should be completed in full), but they don’t want it and think it should be scrapped. They can have more trains, running closer together, if they’re happy for every train to travel at a maximum of 60 mph. .

Half the route between Euston (if it ever gets there) and Curzon St., will be in tunnels, cuttings or hidden behind earth bunds. More than half the passengers, don't bother to pay much attention to looking outside anyway, from my own observations. . .

One of the tunnels under nothing. How many hundreds of ££££ millions are these costing ? I'm surprised this scandal hasn't been picked up by the press. .

Nissan is another, if slightly different, successful adoption of Japanese methodology in a British environment. .

Well how does it work at Reading? The same - 2 Main lines into 4 platforms as there'll be at OOC. Fundamentally there's little difference. .

A quick video, just skimming through some of the HS2 route, showing brief glimpse of some of the work. (note, the video can't be embedded, so the link needs to be clicked to open it in YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5OpvS8sWTQ .