High Speed hysteria - March 3 2011
Categories: RAILBlog
High Speed 2 is at the eye of a storm of protest, principally by the Chiltern NIMBYs, who are currently making a great deal of noise objecting to the idea of the railway passing through their area.
I don't have a problem with that, they are entitled to their opinion. I do however have a problem with all the nonsense being peddled about HS2 being a costly vanity project - this is an essential piece of infrastructure which will bring considerable value and benefits to many more people than those who will be personally affected by the line.
Those who object to HS2 are using a powerful mixture of exaggeration, inflammatory language and scare-mongering to try and make sure their affluent communities stop the railway which will help millions of people aspire to the higher living standards, which the protesters take for granted themselves. The full story is in the next RAIL, so don't miss it.
Meanwhile, here's a picture of HS1 by long-term rail photographer Brian Stephenson, who has lived 700m from HS1 right through the construction period and throughout it's life.
Brian is baffled by the HS2 opposition because HS1 is 'simply not an issue for its neighbours'
More about this in the next issue of RAIL, which will be out to subscribers on Saturday, and then in shops Wednesday March 9.
This one is going to run and run...
Comments
Sep 24, 2011
Just returned from a week on SNCF. TGV and Eurostar not as good as French make out and heavily subsidised. I found ride above 125 very bumpy. Freight is now almost completely gone. I saw no container trains at all. I wonder if we should follow the French idea of going faster and faster, or concentrate on 'Quality' instead.