HS2

kitty is right, Toton is really in no man's land and neither Derby nor Nottingham City Councils are happy about the choice. Toton, which is now a fairly pleasant suburb will be completely destroyed if this goes ahead. There is no economic case for the whole project as far as I can see. It will certainly be an environmental disaster particularly in the South East and southern midlands which need all the countryside they can hang on to.

Just from an East Midlands perspective, it would take longer to get to Toton than going to London conventionally unless there are better connections than we have now.

As a side issue, 'haitch ess two' will send me nuts well before they even start it!!

Like it nfk

It'd be a lot easier to move Parliament and maybe the Bank of England or the Stoke Exchange up to say Leeds. Everything else then would just follow.

Lawyers are now suggesting that there will a further ten years' delay to deal with planning objections. It also seems more than likely that the project – if it ever happens at all – will end up massively over budget. What a farce.

I think it's a good idea. I'm just amazed we haven't done it already.

Well, I didn't like to say you'd be quicker on the bus!

gracesmum

As somebody remarked- If you want to get to London from Birmingham (or vice versa) half and hour quicker - leave half an hour earlier.

Heathrow does need an extra runway - with only 2 it explains why something like snow is so disruptive - close one runway to clear snow - what do you do with the other? As things stand it is 1 for take-offs and 1 for landing, so it doesn't take much to bring things to a standstill.

Read out of context, Anno's comment " By the time it reaches Manchester I will be 92 " makes it sound like a veeeeeeeeery slow train indeed!!!

Don't get too excited about this: The Department for Transport has announced that there will be five stops on the 211-mile Y-shaped extension northwards from Birmingham - scheduled to be completed in 2032, six years after the first phase (Independent 28/01/13). By the time it reaches Manchester I will be 92, so I can't raise much enthusiasm for the project. I agree with you, Lilygran. There are better ways to spend £30-odd billion one of which would be to upgrade existing lines and open more local ones.

Hull's missing too. Oh well no surprise. Another Labour safe seat.

I can't think shaving 30 minutes off the existing journey time is going to revitalise the industrial Midlands and the North, or get people off the motorways and on to the trains. There was talk last week of re-opening some of the local lines lost in the Beeching cuts. Now that looks like a good idea!

Bonsia For us to travel from the North East to Leeds by train takes between 1hr.29min and 1hr 50 mins and to travel today would cost £94.10, so that gives you an idea of how far we are out of the loop.

Leeds isn't in the North-east. It's barely in the North.

glassortwo it'll go to Leeds though?

Article says:

"Manchester - alongside the existing Piccadilly station;

Manchester Airport - interchange by the M56 between Warburton Green and Davenport Green;

East Midlands - at Toton, between Nottingham and Derby and one mile from the M1;

Sheffield - at Meadowhall shopping centre;

Leeds - at New Lane in the South bank area connected to the main station by walkway."

I think it's about time they got this underway. Hopefully it'll spur them on to build more of the same. HS1 in the South East is amazingly fast.

Bonsai This has been in the planning and consultation stage for over 15 years, I think, and still nothing has actually happened. If this were France or Spain, it would have been done and dusted or vetoed once and for all a long while ago. Typical British politicos – can't run a bath.

I cannot see the need for a third runway at Heathrow. Newcastle airport seemed to remain open but slowish when the usual chaos reigned in the snow this month. Upgrade the runway in Newcastle improve the link to Centrall station or even do something clever to connect with the main line after all there are stops at Alnmouth and Berwick which are small beer when you think how busy an airport station could be .the jobs would be there for the north east. I have even worked out how they could connect up and make Durham Tees Valley flourish. The trouble is most of the area votes Labour safes seats so the occupants don't want to bring in prosperity because that would make the status quo wobble and the Conservatives don't see the point in wasting money on safe Labour seats.

Well not in the North East!!!!
But of course the North East is not included in the high speed track, we cant even get the A1 upgraded to dual carriage way to Scotland, so what chance have we of a high speed link