HS2

[Tony]

Doesn't matter who paid for it to be built. If you want a premium service you pay a premium price. As much as we may disagree with how tax money is spent, that's how taxes work.

Yes, same applies everywhere. You want a Tesco Christmas hamper or a Harrods Christmas hamper? You pay more for the premium product

[Gareth]

Households in the Hodge Hill constituency have been receiving letters from Liam Byrne to attend an online meeting tomorrow about bridge works due to start next year, going on for a year.  One of them being Aston Church Road and the other being Saltley Viaduct.
For me personally Saltley Viaduct would be the most inconvenient.
It does tie in to a rumour a few years ago that the 14 would possibly have to be operated by single deckers to allow its diversion under the low bridge on Diddeston Mill Road. (This was however, purely speculative)

[2206]

For me personally Saltley Viaduct would be the most inconvenient.

What do you mean by that

[Tony]

What do you mean by that?

I presume closing Saltley Viaduct for up to a year will disrupt his travel.

[2206]

I presume closing Saltley Viaduct for up to a year will disrupt his travel.

Hopefully they won't close them both at the same time? So 55/94 can still use Aston Church Road whilst Saltley Viaduct is closed?

[Gareth]

Hopefully they won't close them both at the same time? So 55/94 can still use Aston Church Road whilst Saltley Viaduct is closed?

It wouldn't be the end of the world to have a longer walk to a bus stop, but it misses out a big chunk of well used route.

[Stu]

Been a bit of 'noise' in the media yesterday and today about the supposed cancellation of HS2 to Euston, with the service terminating at Old Oak Common instead, with passengers having to use the Elizabeth Line Cross-Rail service, or London Underground, to get into central London.

Hunt doubles down on HS2 amid calls for line to be cancelled

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/transport/2023/01/27/hunt-doubles-down-on-hs2-amid-calls-for-line-to-be-cancelled/

I was amused by the Lichfield Loudmouth Michael Fabricant's comment:

He said if the line was going to terminate at Old Oak Common it would make "even more of a mockery of what high speed rail should be".
"The original plan would have linked Birmingham New Street to London, Paris and beyond," he added. "Now it may not even get to the centre of London.

"People will not use a high speed railway unless it goes from city centre to city centre. The whole project is botched and it is time to call an end to it."

Well, in order to travel on the Eurostar to get to 'Paris and beyond', one still needs to travel via London Underground in order to get to St Pancras International, which is of course located next to Kings Cross station.

There was never going to be a 'seamless' transition from HS2 onto Eurostar/HS1, even when it goes all the way to Euston. (For the record, I've travelled by train to Belgium in the past - Chiltern Line from Solihull to Marylebone, LU to Kings Cross/St Pancras, then Eurostar to Brussells, and then onto local trains, it took a while lol, but wasn't a massive inconvenience and was quite a fun journey in the end!)

[Gareth]

I did Birmingham to Paris yesterday. Walked from Euston to St Pancras. 10min walk tops. Probably as quick as the tube and navigating the stations underground.

[Tony]

I did Birmingham to Paris yesterday. Walked from Euston to St Pancras. 10min walk tops. Probably as quick as the tube and navigating the stations underground.

I'm of the same opinion, I always walk, even with suitcases, you even have the choice of Euston Road, or they have now signposted a walk through the houses.

[Stu]

I did Birmingham to Paris yesterday. Walked from Euston to St Pancras. 10min walk tops. Probably as quick as the tube and navigating the stations underground.

I'm of the same opinion, I always walk, even with suitcases, you even have the choice of Euston Road, or they have now signposted a walk through the houses.

True, admittedly Marylebone is a bit further, but you often don't realise how close together some places are.

[mikestone]

There are no two ways about it - the whole misbegotten scheme should by dropped.
;
Every other high speed line in the world has been built to permit a vast increase in speed and frequency  - and not from a twenty-minute service of 125 mph trains, so the original business case is fatally flawed.
;
And that's before the combined effects of Covid and Avanti incompetence persuaded people they don't need to travel anyway.

[Tony]

There are no two ways about it - the whole misbegotten scheme should by dropped.
;
Every other high speed line in the world has been built to permit a vast increase in speed and frequency  - and not from a twenty-minute service of 125 mph trains, so the original business case is fatally flawed.
;
And that's before the combined effects of Covid and Avanti incompetence persuaded people they don't need to travel anyway.

Where do you get 125mph from? HS2 is being built for a vast increase in speed and frequency 

[Ginger66]

I'm of the same opinion, I always walk, even with suitcases, you even have the choice of Euston Road, or they have now signposted a walk through the houses.

Know what you mean,  several years back I walked from corner of Oxford St/Tottenham court road up to Goodge street took about 15 minutes.  While waiting for theatre to open. 

I can see it been a good thirty minute walk to get to Euston

[Ginger66]

Do you think in years to come we will be able to catch a train direct to Amsterdam/Paris from Birmingham.

[Gareth]

Do you think in years to come we will be able to catch a train direct to Amsterdam/Paris from Birmingham.

No. Not in our life times anyway.

That was the plan many years ago. Ship has sailed.