Just another reason to ban Liebor party

[OwlHoot]

How about a moving travelator alongside the M1 and the M40? These are described in many sf books: you have parallel tracks that get faster and faster and you move from one to another, like changing lanes. You could be moving people, instead of tonnes of metal, for far less cost, far less energy and far less space.

Or a high-tech canal, with submersed carriages bombing along at over 100 MPH using supercavitation

In 2005, DARPA announced the 'Underwater Express program', a research and evaluation bid to establish the potential of supercavitation. The program's ultimate goal is a new class of underwater craft for littoral missions that can transport small groups of Navy personnel or specialized military cargo at speeds up to 100 knots

although, come to think of it, why go to the bother of having them underwater when you could skim along the surface using a hovercraft-like system?

[SupremeSpod]

Or a high-tech canal, with submersed carriages bombing along at over 100 MPH using supercavitation

In 2005, DARPA announced the 'Underwater Express program', a research and evaluation bid to establish the potential of supercavitation. The program's ultimate goal is a new class of underwater craft for littoral missions that can transport small groups of Navy personnel or specialized military cargo at speeds up to 100 knots

although, come to think of it, why go to the bother of having them underwater when you could skim along the surface using a hovercraft-like system?

Wouldn't exactly be "covert", would it?

[d000hg]

Well if you don't know then...

STFU

Very fast travel between London and Midlands would make it and areas around it more attractive to companies thus stimulating investment outside of M25 area (which is good thing even for M25 as it would reduce spekulative demand on local property).

M6 Toll is empty because it was idiotic idea in the first place but also because price is so high.

You seem very interested in trains. Are you friends with GricerBoy?

[shaunbhoy]

In USSR there are plenty of stations around small village but with lots of rails - this way it's much easier to delay some slow train to allow fast one to go ahead.

All well and good, but in USSR they have to maintain such a system in order that invading armies can logistically fuel their colossal high-speed advances.
In this country, we simply do not get invaded, hence there is no real need for such an exhaustive rail network.
Besides, rail travel is old technology. We may as well just live with what we have until some clever fooker invents matter transfer.

[VectraMan]

Very fast travel between London and Midlands would make it and areas around it more attractive to companies thus stimulating investment outside of M25 area (which is good thing even for M25 as it would reduce spekulative demand on local property).

Not trains though. The M40 and M42 have undoubetdly been a big boost to places like Bicester, Banbury, Stratford, Warwick/Leamington etc. (and I remember all the resistance to building the M40). Unlike a motorway these trains offer no benefit to all the places they go through, and unlike a motorway they only link the city centres, and presumably these high speed trains are only for passengers and won't carry any freight.

I'm sure there'll be increased demand for business property right next to the station, but it's hard to see how it could stimulate any growth anywhere else. At least in London you can get off your train and onto an underground train to get you where you need to go. Brum doesn't have that.

[shaunbhoy]

At least in London you can get off your train and onto an underground train to get you where you need to go. Brum doesn't have that.

Ah yes, but they do have a lot of canals. Many people liken it to Venice.................if Venice were ever to be
carpet-bombed!

[VectraMan]

Ah yes, but they do have a lot of canals. Many people liken it to Venice

250mph high speed train connecting you to an integrated 4mph narrow boat system. The future is here!

[DimPrawn]

We can save £33 billion by simply asking all those who want to be 30 mins nearer to London to move 30 mins nearer to London.

Okay?

HTH

[TimberWolf]

We can save £33 billion by simply asking all those who want to be 30 mins nearer to London to move 30 mins nearer to London.

Okay?

HTH

By 2026 Birmingham will probably have merged with London anyway.

[AtW]

All well and good, but in USSR they have to maintain such a system in order that invading armies can logistically fuel their colossal high-speed advances.

Soviet rail track is wider, you'd have to relay it, or get a lot of local wagons/steam engines...