White Elephant

[tazdevil]

They buggered around for far too long before starting to build HS2, and pandered way too much to the people in the Tory shires by running it through tunnels and massively increasing the cost

We need more high speed rail as it can displace car / short haul plane journeys, and it frees up the existing network for more local traffic and freight - there's a Midlands Connect paper somewhere that explains how much network space HS2 frees up and how it allows improved services across the south midlands

That's the problem pandering to home counties folk and freeing south midlands network space when we should be investing in east west links north of those places. Tunnels through the Pennines connecting Yorkshire and Lancashire combined with upgraded rail and motorways from Newcastle, Scotland, Hull and Liverpool would supercharge the northern economy but all that happens is billions gets pissed up the wall for small improvements to infrastructure in the south

[Andy2022]

They buggered around for far too long before starting to build HS2, and pandered way too much to the people in the Tory shires by running it through tunnels and massively increasing the cost

We need more high speed rail as it can displace car / short haul plane journeys, and it frees up the existing network for more local traffic and freight - there's a Midlands Connect paper somewhere that explains how much network space HS2 frees up and how it allows improved services across the south midlands

[vetran]

Most white elephants are leucistic, not albino, and the few albino ones there are will rarely make it to adulthood.

Every day is a school day

What is the difference between albino and leucistic?
An albino individual is unable to produce melanin pigments. This leads to a good diagnostic feature with which to distinguish leucistic and albino individuals – the colour of the eye. Albinos have pink eyes while the iris pigmentation of leucistic birds remains dark.

[WTFH]

Probably ableist as white elephants are albino.

Most white elephants are leucistic, not albino, and the few albino ones there are will rarely make it to adulthood.

[vetran]

You are too slow.

A bit like HS2?

[jamesbrown]

Excellent news - anything that helps to keep the Brummie riff-raff out of our esteemed capital...

[SueEllen]

Not Official thread!

You are too slow.

[AtW]

Not Official thread!

[SueEllen]

HS2 should never have happened and it should have started in the North with rail and road tunnels through the Pennines to connect Leeds and Manchester before turning South and North with simply upgrading the existing East and West coast lines. Or put a Maglev down the centre of the M1. As it is it's simply turned out to be a way to redevelop Euston and line the pockets of fat cat developers

Thing is they have destroyed the businesses and homes around Euston for it for no good reason.

[tazdevil]

HS2 should never have happened and it should have started in the North with rail and road tunnels through the Pennines to connect Leeds and Manchester before turning South and North with simply upgrading the existing East and West coast lines. Or put a Maglev down the centre of the M1. As it is it's simply turned out to be a way to redevelop Euston and line the pockets of fat cat developers

[Paddy]

It is going to central London. This will be achieved by a replacement high speed bus service.

[SueEllen]

White Elephant - Is that racist?

Probably ableist as white elephants are albino.

[vetran]

White Elephant - Is that racist?

[SueEllen]

After destroying the landscape, people's businesses and homes HS2 isn't even going into Central London.



https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...-project-soars

The high-speed rail link HS2 may not reach central London, and instead terminate in the western suburbs of the capital, according to reports.

HS2 officials are reportedly considering scaling back the multibillion pound project by delaying to 2038 – or scrapping completely – the Euston terminus, the Sun reports.

Soaring inflation has forced bosses to look again at the costly proposals with trains instead stopping at a new hub at Old Oak Common in west London’s suburbs.

Commuters would have to finish their journeys into central London by using the Elizabeth line instead, the report said.

The paper also reported that a two to five-year delay to the entire project is being considered.

The government has not denied the reports.