HS2 again -

[Observer II]

Well, it seems financial prudence has intervened in plans for HS2 to Leeds; and Labour are throwing there toys out of the pram, screaming "but you promised".  But we've had a pandemic since then and racked up a huge public debt, which will require repayment, not adding to.    I question the premise behind HS2,  that it is designed to improve the economies of the North; when it's actually about feeding labour and goods into the Capital faster. thus being all about London.   Many workers can't afford to live in London, so can live outside, some shift workers actually live as far as the Lake District, and share a flat in London with shift mates, while on duty. So if the politicians want to talk about "levelling up" in the North, they need to improve the connectivity within the North,  and it seems, that's what Gov intends to do.  However, we'll never rid ourselves of this London centric obsession until the political centre is moved to say Manchester, with Gov and Parliament located there, more central to the Nation it presides over.

[Confused52]

Not so much financial as timescales. We are told that the Warrington to Manchester service will be less busy when the NPR (NOT HS2) service starts. But that will not be until 2045 or thereabouts. The cancelled bits of HS2 would have made that date later still. Meanwhile we will see reductions in the service to Manchester in 2022. No concrete proposals in the Integrated Plan to solve the problem of the 22 year gap where private car use will be actively be discouraged.

This kind of nonsense will continue until the media grow up enough to realise that "when the facts change I change my mind" is not the same as a U-turn, it is just pragmatism - and that is a very British trait.

[ninearches]

This seems a much better idea than HS2 & will benefit more people locally . Perhaps the success of zoom & other internet meetings & business deals has highlighted that the need is not necessarily there for high speed travel.

Talking about cars , the Wigan boundary ,a couple of miles up the road from us ,has already had eco signs erected to come into operation in May 2022 when charging will be applied to vehicles entering Wigan & probably all of Greater Manchester.

[Observer II]

Glad I won't see it,  feel sorry for a generation being greenwashed into poverty and austerity;  the boomers certainly had the best of it.    

[Evil Sid]

i have a very eco friendly car. runs on petrol and is cheaper than electric to both run and maintain. Mind you it only does about 700 miles between mot's and gets filled with petrol whenever i remember or after two months whichever comes first.

[Latchford Locks]

19 hours ago, Observer II said:

Glad I won't see it,  feel sorry for a generation being greenwashed into poverty and austerity;  the boomers certainly had the best of it.    

I reckon none of us on this forum will see the completed job so I don't waste time even thinking about it 

[Observer II]

Didn't mean the rail job Latch, but life in general,  no car use, forced changes to heating systems, high energy costs, higher cost of living generally etc:   and it will all fall on the weakest shoulders of the great unwashed.   The rich will retreat to their carribean islands or their gated communities, protected by private security, as they've already started to do, flying their private jets around the globe, while the rest struggle with Ourgate.  😠