"High Speed 2" UK Rail Link Gets Go-Ahead

Maybe it's to get out of Birmingham...

Good point.

If it's anything like here in the USA, the government will over pay the builders, who will supply less than perfect labor and materials and will take twice as long to complete the project, resulting in millions of cost overruns. The project will fail to comply with construction requirements and millions more will be spent on litigation.

Finally the line will open and soon after there will be a massive train derailment with hundreds of lives lost resulting in millions more spent on litigation.

A new project will be undertaken to repair the deficiencies caused by the first contactor (who has declared bankruptcy and is now doing business under another name) and that will cost more millions.

See, it's good for the economy, if you are a lawyer.

Man ain't that the truth

Given that the only planned onward links are to Manchester and Leeds, it looks to me like a way to make the decentralisation of the BBC work. After all, if Brum is only 49 minutes away, your stars can continue to live in London (or Brighton in the case of Zoe Ball) and commute to work at The Post-Box

What we need are rural and suburban lines that provide a viable alternative to private transport. Oh...looks like we're heading towards masu mass transit thingie again....

Some interesting engineer's comments here

What we need are rural and suburban lines ...
Like the ones scrapped by Beeching? (spits on floor)
Del

My thoughts exactly...

I particularly liked the comment on The Engineer's article that talked about the standard steam train getting to 125 mph...(_{that'll make PWS read it!})

It was 126.4 MPH. Going down hill! The loco Mallard was failed by the driver at the next station due to an over heating centre big end bearing.

The Germans claimed 128 MPH but could not substantiate it.

The point made in the comment was that 125 mph was reached by a train other than the Mallard - i.e. an in-service train in standard condition, not one with uprated big ends etc.

For those who can't be bothered clicking the link and scrolled to the third comment:

"Davey | 9 Jan 2012 2:53 pm

Peterborough Straight, 1939 a regular steam train (not a tricked-up record breaking gimmick special) with fare-paying passengers runs at 125 mph and achieves the World Record for a train hauled by a steam engine. Looks like Moore's Law doesn't apply to railways!"

Further comment - noting that none of the meia sought comment from engineers....

I'm currently living in California, we have a High Speed system in the works.

Despite I can't get the 30 miles from home to office except by car.

One problem I see is all High Speed (or low for that matter) are doled out by state, so a system from say Los Angeles to Phoenix means coordinating two entities.