Roll on high speed rail!

Simon Morley Tue Jun 19, 2007 at 06:46:11 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

The Times online today has a story about a proposal for a high speed rail link, initially to Birmingham.



I just wonder why it has taken so long for anyone to make what seems like a serious proposal like this! I guess there are two questions, both about planning. First, how much of a problem is getting planning permission likely to be? And second, is it not possible to fund the project through planning gains, by buying up land near one or more new stations then building on it, or even just selling the land. That's how a lot of early railway building was financed, so why not do it again?


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Roll on high speed rail! | 5 comments (5 topical)

Re: Roll on high speed rail! (#1)

by NorthernMonkey on Tue Jun 19, 2007 at 07:25:03 PM GMT

Sounds like a good idea, but how realistic it is I'm unsure. There was talk a few months ago of a Maglev connecting London with Glasgow via Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh but that's pie in the sky really. <p> If this high-speed connection is to get built it needs to go further out than Birmingham - it's the North and Scotland which has to suffer the longest journeys to London naturally, so it needs to extend there.


Re: Roll on high speed rail! (#2)

by Lorin on Tue Jun 19, 2007 at 07:37:56 PM GMT

I hope this goes ahead, it makes sense both financially and Environmentally.


People will have a fast way of getting from London to the Midlands, and wont have to pollute the air by doing so.


Re: Roll on high speed rail! (#3)

by jkitleft on Tue Jun 19, 2007 at 07:53:02 PM GMT

I'm against it. Not in principle, but the railway system needs to be overhauled, if we want to build high-speed railways once our Victorian railways are overhauled, then I'm all for it.


[ Parent ]

Re: Roll on high speed rail! (#4)

by Lorin on Tue Jun 19, 2007 at 08:02:02 PM GMT

Agreed, I read somewhere that it was faster to get from London to Manchester in 1950 than it is today, there's Virgin Trains for you, to bad the train services arn't as good as the commercials.
I hope the new franchises aren't re-privatised (wishfull thinking) I hate GNER!

I hope Crossrail is aproved, now that will be briliant, no arguments.


[ Parent ]

Re: Roll on high speed rail! (#5)

by MM on Wed Jun 20, 2007 at 01:46:17 AM GMT

I'll believe it when I see it, normally when Gordon Brown is involved it will take years and years of various studies and still come in over budget (with complex PFI contracts with the only winners beings consultants and lawyers).  The FT yesterday seemed to think that Brown might announce in his opening few weeks as PM the go-ahead for Crossrail, about time too. 


Roll on high speed rail! | 5 comments (5 topical)