Massive under-estimation of projected cost of HS2

Since 2016 this country has wasted so much money and other resources on this brexit nonsense that we could have used constructively to help solve the many problems we have.

Those responsible for this brexit nonsense should be brought to trial and held accountable for the damaghe inflicted on our country and on the 27 other countries of the EU.v

Just think how much better that money could be spent on those who really need help.

I sympathise with anyone having to manage with all the disruption that huge projects bring, let alone the cost. It also blights housing for miles around and as you say brings the loss of habitat for so much nature.

As others have said it’s a huge waste of resources in this current climate. We’d be better off planting new forests of indigenous trees to try to offset climate change.

The infrastructure is already being installed near me and causing massive upheaval, road closures, land being prepared for storing vehicles and materials that will be used in the building of it trees being cut down along the line. I dread to think what it’s going to be like when the tunnel they are building close by is started I cannot even imagine, it’s a money pit of unfathomable proportions.

I live in the NE. The A1 just north of Newcastle is in many places a single lane carriageway. It must be time to connect the NE more effectively with rest of the UK. No wonder the Scots are so cross that GB is London centric. It takes me one and a half hours on average on public transport to do what is twenty minute journey by car. No wonder the NE feels, rightly so that their needs are ignored by government.

It’s about time centres of population north of Birmingham had better access to transport.

HS2 is an expensive white elephant and is costing us all a fortune.

MOnica, point taken. It only confirms the need to prioritise local transport over a ridiculously expensive attempt to shave ten mins off Manchester to
London. If we invested more in our infrastructure, we’d create jobs as well as improve life.

I thouroughly object to Scotland having to pay a % of HS2 ..and London sewers and Crossrail and Big Ben etc etc etc .Non of these things are of any benefit to us.Our money should be spent on things that we need ..not London

This whole HS2 scandal is a symptom of a greater malaise which inflicts our country because of our FPTP voting system.

It results in a party achieving far less than 50% of the votes in a general election being able to inflict its will on the country for five years or so, then quite often another party gets in and there is an abrupt reversal of policy.

Short term policies, only designed to win the next election and not to advance the country in the long term are the result.

If we had proportional representation, which most mature democracies do have, there would be more coalitions, mote continuity and less abrupt turnarounds where the new government tries to make its mark by undoing the work of the last one.

I await an announcement that it is going to be ditched.

Not before time and the money will be better spent on other improvements to infrastructure throughout the country.

Surely this latest cock up is indicative of the massive inability of successive governments to govern strategically. Nit picking, penny pinching, party politicking, short termism seems to be endemic.

Other examples include the inability to properly prepare young people for the world of work; the lamentable state of the social care system (surely to high Heaven someone must have seen the demographics years in advance?) and the gradual disintegration of the NHS.

What a bunch of quacks and charlatans.

Not in this life I'm afraid, varian.

It always was a dicey project - I just wonder who gains by it?

I take your point EV but if you're in the north of England you might want to head north, or east or west.

Varian, why on earth would us in the North want a fast train going South ?

Iam64. You could be describing the south east of the country,. It certainly describes Oxfordshire. We live 12 miles from Oxford. Try to get to or into Oxford in the rush hour.

I travel from Didcot to Paddington relatively frequently, 60 miles, 45-60 minute journey. I quite often stand all the way there and all the way back at any time of day.

The south east only seems better served. Population density in the south east, from Dover to Salisbury and Southhampton to nearly Birmingham is much higher across the whole region, so in fact the travel problems down here are jusr as bad as those further north.

If HS2 was intended to help regenerate the North, it should have started in the North, not in London.

Everything in this country is far too London oriented. Because of the media being largely London-based, folk who've lived all their lives in or near London, tend to know little about the rest of the UK, whereas other folk can't help knowing about London, as well as their own area, and so can, IMO, be better informed.

What a legal con this is ! Somebody's making a packet somewhere.

Growstuff, the M60 is awful, hour and a half to travel 12 miles is not unusual during peak times, ie most of the time.
I used the M62 to visit a friend near York, spent an hour stationary on top os saddleworth moor

I agree with you, Iam64. For one reason or other, I've had plenty of reasons to travel by train from Manchester to Leeds and the journey is appalling. I've also been stuck for hours on the M60.

By the way, as somebody who lives in the home counties, cross country routes need sorting out here. It's much quicker to travel 40 miles into London and then another 40 miles out again to do a journey which would take no longer than 15 or 20 minutes if it were direct.

As someone who lives in the north west, I could shout and curse frankly. We need improvements to all transport links, particularly rail links. We’re 12 miles from Manchester City Centre. During rush hour, the limited number of carriages means trains into town are full long before they reach us. You’re lucky to get on and stand.
Roads are overcrowded, trips take three or four times what they should. North mAmchester needs expansion of the metro links as well as better train services, modernisation, expansion.
Better cross country links. What’s the point of taking fifteen mins off The already short journey to and from London. It takes longer to get to Liverpool or leeds

Show me an infrastructure project that didn't go well over budget.

We have the London to Bristol mainline running behind the house. That is way over budget, way over the projected time table and they are still arguing about how to deal with the bridge over it in our High Street. We were originally told work on replacing it would start in February 2014.

Five years plus later, the rail authority are still arguing with the planning authority over the design of the replacement bridge and have not actually yet agreed whether there will be a replacement bridge or whether they will adapt the current one

It should be stopped right now. What a disgusting waste of money and for what?

It doesn’t surprise me, but the fact that the government has been lying for at least 3 years surprises me even less.

There is no integrity left in our politicians.

Well, colour me unsurprised.

Since when has any government project cost anything other than £millions more than the original estimate?

I agree with everything you've written Eloethan. I, too, initially thought it would be a good idea because it would improve links to the North. However, it's become obvious that it won't have that effect. The money would be far better spent on cross country routes, for example from Liverpool/Manchester to Newcastle via Leeds and Sheffield.

Pointless ripping up of countryside. Many people will work from home digitally.