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Great Western Coffee Shop > All across the Great Western territory > The Wider Picture in the United Kingdom > Improving transport infrastructure - inc. Scotland to Northern Ireland tunnel
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Author Topic: Improving transport infrastructure - inc. Scotland to Northern Ireland tunnel  (Read 9311 times)
grahame
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« on: October 07, 2020, 10:39:29 »
From GE Plus

Quote
The chair of Network Rail, Peter Hendy, is to lead an independent review of UK▸ (United Kingdom) transport connections which will consider the feasibility of a tunnel or bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The government-backed review will look at how to boost transport infrastructure in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England including faster road and rail links and potential projects for improving infrastructure.

Earlier this year Boris Johnson?s secretary of state for Scotland, Alister Jack, made the case for a tunnel to link the Scotland to Northern Ireland. At the time he said it would be cheaper to build and more efficient to use than a bridge. In 2019 Johnson proposed a bridge across the Irish Sea which was widely criticised.

Other areas that will be included in the study are: reviewing air links within the UK, boosting road and rail links to Scotland; cutting journey times to North Wales by reviewing the Welsh railway network; and improving major road links across the country, like the A1.
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Lee
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« Reply #1 on: October 07, 2020, 12:23:24 »
Just the man for a nonsense, will-never-happen bridge to nowhere.
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #2 on: October 07, 2020, 12:53:14 »
Quote from: Lee on October 07, 2020, 12:23:24
Just the man for a nonsense, will-never-happen bridge to nowhere.

Surely HS2▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) could simply be extended to Belfast?
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grahame
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« Reply #3 on: October 07, 2020, 13:09:29 »
Quote from: TaplowGreen on October 07, 2020, 12:53:14
Quote from: Lee on October 07, 2020, 12:23:24
Just the man for a nonsense, will-never-happen bridge to nowhere.

Surely HS2▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) could simply be extended to Belfast?

All this talk of tunnels and bridges ... I wonder if there is an intermediate option that could be considered, with something on the surface of the water?    It wouldn't even need to be continuous - they could batch up people wanting to go across (just as they do in a train anyway) and then dispatch those batches to a timetable, with some sort of engine on the batch container.  Might even offer a buffet or restaurant service?  Perhaps too novel to consider?
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stuving
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« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2020, 13:15:04 »
Quote from: grahame on October 07, 2020, 13:09:29
Quote from: TaplowGreen on October 07, 2020, 12:53:14
Quote from: Lee on October 07, 2020, 12:23:24
Just the man for a nonsense, will-never-happen bridge to nowhere.

Surely HS2▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) could simply be extended to Belfast?

All this talk of tunnels and bridges ... I wonder if there is an intermediate option that could be considered, with something on the surface of the water?    It wouldn't even need to be continuous - they could batch up people wanting to go across (just as they do in a train anyway) and then dispatch those batches to a timetable, with some sort of engine on the batch container.  Might even offer a buffet or restaurant service?  Perhaps too novel to consider?

Would that be a transporter (bridge)? Or maybe a "transporter tunnel"?
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grahame
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« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2020, 13:42:04 »
Quote from: stuving on October 07, 2020, 13:15:04
Would that be a transporter (bridge)? Or maybe a "transporter tunnel"?

I was thinking of a 4 letter word ... sh** - but you need to be quiet or the idea might gain credence and that would be no good to any politician who wants to stamp his or her change on the current setup.
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Lee
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« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2020, 13:43:50 »
Quote from: grahame on October 07, 2020, 13:09:29
Quote from: TaplowGreen on October 07, 2020, 12:53:14
Quote from: Lee on October 07, 2020, 12:23:24
Just the man for a nonsense, will-never-happen bridge to nowhere.

Surely HS2▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) could simply be extended to Belfast?

All this talk of tunnels and bridges ... I wonder if there is an intermediate option that could be considered, with something on the surface of the water?    It wouldn't even need to be continuous - they could batch up people wanting to go across (just as they do in a train anyway) and then dispatch those batches to a timetable, with some sort of engine on the batch container.  Might even offer a buffet or restaurant service?  Perhaps too novel to consider?

Broadgage Boats? The Portpatrick Pullman?
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« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2020, 22:25:56 »
Will the bridge have trees and gardens? How about a zipwire?

Hmm, they didn't work out very well for him either. Roll Eyes
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Lee
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« Reply #8 on: October 07, 2020, 22:43:13 »
A classic archive interview clip for you:



"I'm not a moral compass...I just run public transport in London"

Let's hope he possesses an actual compass, or we could end up in Cork  Grin
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Phil
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« Reply #9 on: October 09, 2020, 12:52:22 »
Quote from: TaplowGreen on October 07, 2020, 12:53:14

Surely HS2▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) could simply be extended to Belfast?

How anyone could imagine HS2 could be "simply" extended to Belfast is beyond me.
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grahame
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« Reply #10 on: October 09, 2020, 12:58:55 »
Quote from: Phil on October 09, 2020, 12:52:22
Quote from: TaplowGreen on October 07, 2020, 12:53:14

Surely HS2▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) could simply be extended to Belfast?

How anyone could imagine HS2 could be "simply" extended to Belfast is beyond me.

It's simple in cynical fantasy, Phil  ... I hope I read that right, and I suspect you read it that way too  Grin
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stuving
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« Reply #11 on: October 09, 2020, 13:33:36 »
Quote from: Phil on October 09, 2020, 12:52:22
Quote from: TaplowGreen on October 07, 2020, 12:53:14

Surely HS2▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) could simply be extended to Belfast?

How anyone could imagine HS2 could be "simply" extended to Belfast is beyond me.

Well, crayons are waterproof aren't they? Just leaves the paper ...
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rogerpatenall
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« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2020, 13:38:15 »
Quote from: grahame on October 09, 2020, 12:58:55
Quote from: Phil on October 09, 2020, 12:52:22
Quote from: TaplowGreen on October 07, 2020, 12:53:14

Surely HS2▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) could simply be extended to Belfast?

How anyone could imagine HS2 could be "simply" extended to Belfast is beyond me.

It's simple in cynical fantasy, Phil  ... I hope I read that right, and I suspect you read it that way too  Grin


Maybe Phil didn't consider the simple expedient of looking around the railway network for a few ready made but disused tunnels (Woodhead, etc) that could be borrowed for the project.
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2020, 15:25:48 »
Quote from: Phil on October 09, 2020, 12:52:22
Quote from: TaplowGreen on October 07, 2020, 12:53:14

Surely HS2▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) could simply be extended to Belfast?

How anyone could imagine HS2 could be "simply" extended to Belfast is beyond me.

How anyone could imagine I was being serious is beyond me 🙂
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eightf48544
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« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2020, 15:31:28 »
Has anyone worked out that 4' 81/2" 5' 3" doesn't go. I suppose you could have an automatic gauge change at Larne.
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