HS2

The phrase “North of Watford” is a common misnomer.

They are actually referring to “North of The Watford Gap” which is near Daventry on the M1 some 67 miles north of Watford.

It’s all down to perspective, north for me is Sheffield and upwards.

Midlands is south of Sheffield to Milton Keynes

South is south of MK to the south coast

Anyone south of MK and west of Swindon is in the West Country

East of Cambridge is east anglia

And Kent is just Kent

But someone in Hereford would have a different perspective
 
PhilTheFragger said:
The phrase “North of Watford” is a common misnomer.

They are actually referring to “North of The Watford Gap” which is near Daventry on the M1 some 67 miles north of Watford.

It’s all down to perspective, north for me is Sheffield and upwards.

Midlands is south of Sheffield to Milton Keynes

South is south of MK to the south coast

Anyone south of MK and west of Swindon is in the West Country

East of Cambridge is east anglia

And Kent is just Kent

But someone in Hereford would have a different perspective
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Thing is…when we were kids we’d go visit our relatives down south in Southport…🙄
 
Sciience comes to the rescue based on Greggs and Pret.
However, Cornwall is an anomaly because it is neither north nor south.

www.theguardian.com

Greggs and Pret index reveals England’s true north-south divide, say scientists

AI-based analysis suggests the north starts at Watford Gap, where avocado wraps give way to sausage rolls, and includes Birmingham
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

Also like to point out that cod is a southern fish while haddock is a northern one.
 
Oddsocks said:
So back in the trains situ, where do we believe the first domino fell?

Cost of labour increasing? Raw materials?, hedge hog tunnels ….
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Way too many changes to the original plan. Too many expensive tunnels and diversions that were vulnerable to all sorts of price increases. Covid, Ukraine, all added in to the perfect storm.

It will probably be a case study going forwards, not for the right reasons.

I presume the Public Accounts Committee will investigate and report at some point. It will be interesting to hear their take on what the causes were.
 
Oddsocks said:
So back in the trains situ, where do we believe the first domino fell?

Cost of labour increasing? Raw materials?, hedge hog tunnels ….
Click to expand...

Without bringing actual politics into it, it was proposed in 2009, announced would go ahead in 2012 and given royal assent in 2017

It's now 2023 and you just need to look at how many different governments have been in charge, all with different ways of doing things , plus outside influences on UK finances like COVID , war and inflation
 
pauljames87 said:
Without bringing actual politics into it, it was proposed in 2009, announced would go ahead in 2012 and given royal assent in 2017
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How does that compare to the channel tunnel and Eurostar? That too ages as well.

Wembley? Millennium dome? Millennium Bridge?

Did they all just have more reason/desire to be finished?
 
Bunkermagnet said:
Havent we had the same colour government for 13 years?
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Not at all. A lib Dems Tory gov .. then Tory gov with different leaders all supporting different ways the party should go direction wise, IE Osborne and Cameron were about cutting back the state support and lowering taxes
Boris was more increase project spending
To what we have today the highest tax possible whilst battling inflation

Mods please note this is factual rather than political
 
larmen said:
How does that compare to the channel tunnel and Eurostar? That too ages as well.

Wembley? Millennium dome? Millennium Bridge?

Did they all just have more reason/desire to be finished?
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1986 the tunnel was fully commissioned by treaty (was binned in 1975)

It was completed in 1994 fully

We had the same prime minister from 1979 to 1992 with the same idea of government

By time major took over in 1992 the project would be impossible to stop.

Quick addition, HS2 was funded by the UK government

Channel tunnel is a joint venture with France.

Wembley was that funded by various sources

Different stake holders involved
 
pauljames87 said:
1986 the tunnel was fully commissioned by treaty (was binned in 1975)

It was completed in 1994 fully

We had the same prime minister from 1979 to 1992 with the same idea of government

By time major took over in 1992 the project would be impossible to stop.

Quick addition, HS2 was funded by the UK government

Channel tunnel is a joint venture with France.

Wembley was that funded by various sources

Different stake holders involved
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Major took office in 1990.
 
GreiginFife said:
Major took office in 1990.
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Apologises slight mistake there. However the point remains the same(got the date muddled with the formation of the premier league lol)

One leader of the same party in power through the majority of the project which wasn't fully funded by the UK government

HS2 is different parties , different factions of the same party and different ideas for the UK
 
…and the problem for the country…the north especially…will be if the earth on which HS2 2nd leg is (was) to be built is ‘salted‘ (I.e. sold off) and so is no longer available for building the link if a future government of whatever hue decides to go ahead with one.

That we seem unable or unwilling at the moment to build a high capacity rail spine for the country is one thing; that decisions made today for whatever reasons might rule out the building of a future spine is quite another and seems unconsciable - but that appears to be what is going to happen.

By all means put it on hold if needs must, but please don’t ‘salt the earth’

…trying v hard to be apolitical or at least politically agnostic.
 
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Bunkermagnet said:
Havent we had the same colour government for 13 years?
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I don't think so.
We have had 6 quite different regimes in those 13 years.
1. Cameron/Clegg coalition.
2. Cameron
3. May
4. Johnson
5. Truss
6. Sunak

(I hope this is not taken as a "political" post. I have not stated a political view, merely tried to point out that changes of government, with little continuity, can occur within the same party.)
 
Voyager EMH said:
I don't think so.
We have had 6 quite different regimes in those 13 years.
1. Cameron/Clegg coalition.
2. Cameron
3. May
4. Johnson
5. Truss
6. Sunak

(I hope this is not taken as a "political" post. I have not stated a political view, merely tried to point out that changes of government, with little continuity, can occur within the same party.)
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Ah, but you may have a different hair cut, but the head and body are still the same:)
 
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