Oldun

The UK has thought about, debated about and so far no result about where to route the line known as HS2, from London to Manchester and Leeds via Birmingham.
Meanwhile the Chinese, in three years, have built their latest high speed line from Biejing to Guangzhou, a 1425 mile journey covering 35 cities and utilizing 155 train pairs.

http://www.cntraveller.com/news/2013...in%CNTraveller

We are falling behind so many countries now with our rail systems, it's a shame.

TelBoy

Am i right in saying that the estimated (ie a starting point so multiply by 2 or more) cost for this is 32 BILLION pounds?? That is a gargantuan amount of money, however you look at it. Where would that sort of money come from?

Oldun

HS2 is estimated at £32 billion.

I don't know the cost of this individual Chinese line but they are investing £65 billion a year into the total system.
They've built this 1425 mile line whilst we ponder a meagre 112 mile line from London to Birmingham.
We'll probably subcontract it to the Chinese company that's building their system and use trains built in other countries.

boomer

The thing is, China needs a high speed rail link - we don't!!!

Roads without potholes and motorways without cones would be a good start

mb

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Infrastructure-wise this country is screwed.

The giovernment keep harping on about building new houses....yet what about the road the railways, the water, the drainage, the electricty, and gas infrastructures to cope with them (or even the ones that have already been built)?

Nope, barely even mentioned and never in the same paragraph.

Meanwhile this ticket prices go higher and higher...for no improvement in service? Its a joke.

Tidgy

all started going down hill with beaching.

but that said we can have high speed rail links, if people are prepared to pay for them. and judging by the moaning about the recent increase that aint gonna happen

Steve vRS

To be fair though, if you live in China and your village is in the way of a HS rail link your village will be bulldozed and if you protest, you may end up breaking rocks it a labour camp. At least in the UK with all it's faults, your village will be bulldozed and you will get a bit of cash.

Steve

Oldun

It's not the villages that they are worried about in the UK, it's how close the new line will be to the landed gentry estates and MPs houses.

Leslie

Naturally!

Les