HS2 - Government proposals, alternative routes and general discussion

[whole diary]

[Bmblbzzz]

I do wonder whether architects' and developers' mock ups like this, populated by a cast from the Great Adobe Book of Paste-on Extras ("Don't look at the camera. Just act natural. Smile. Pretend you're chatting."), will at some point in the future have the same appeal of nostalgic semi-reality that Ladybird book illustrations have now.

[stuving]

I do wonder whether architects' and developers' mock ups like this, populated by a cast from the Great Adobe Book of Paste-on Extras ("Don't look at the camera. Just act natural. Smile. Pretend you're chatting."), will at some point in the future have the same appeal of nostalgic semi-reality that Ladybird book illustrations have now.

Probably - I do feel a bit like that for the kind of town planners' line drawings we had a lot of in the sixties. The ones with those cotton-wool trees, and sketchy little people. So much more appealing than what was actually built, and even more so after a few decades of exposure to real people.

[stuving]

The other piece of HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) (London end) news was that the transcontinental spoil conveyor is up and running. There's a video (though bits of it were made before it was finished) about that.

There are a number of mentions of the Atlas Road Logistics Tunnel, which turns out to be quite a big thing. It's one of those "enabling works" that seem to take up a lot of the effort (and so money) in big projects now. In this case it's 800 m long and 6 m in diameter, and will be bored by TBM from the Atlas Road site (just south of the railhead at the old Willesden Euro Terminal) to the east end of the HS2 OOC^▸ (Old Oak Common (depot)) station. It will handle spoil from the tunnel boring towards Euston, and also the supply of tunnel lining segments.

I've not seen any pictures of how those two things fit into the bore, but I guess that's why it is so big. The segments will be carried on the "multi service vehicles" made by TMS (part of Herrenknecht) to ship segments up the tunnel to their TBM and extract soil for those not building conveyors or railways. There's a presentation on this for the neighbours, with plans.

[Bmblbzzz]

Nothing gets us excited like a giant boring machine!

[Electric train]

Nothing gets us excited like a giant boring machine!

Or a huge Tonker Toy convey system 

[TaplowGreen]

Please Sir, can we have some more?

https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/hs2-contractors-have-requested-more-money-or-time-on-3000-occasions-19-12-2022/

[stuving]

Nothing gets us excited like a giant boring machine!

Except maybe a big sledge? From HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)):

HS2 completes World-First box ‘bridge slide’ over the M42 in Warwickshire

Over the last six months, the giant 86 metre-long structure was built on land next to the motorway. The structure, developed by a Design Joint Venture of Mott MacDonald and Systra, working on behalf of BBV, has a base, three walls and top slab.

The sliding mechanism, designed by specialist civil and structural engineering company Freyssinet,
allowed the box to be pushed into place over the motorway on a guiding raft over a distance of 163 metres – which is believed to be the world’s longest box slide.

On completion, the whole structure will be around 190 metres in length, and will carry HS2 over the motorway as it heads north to Crewe, or on its southward journey as it loops into Birmingham Curzon Street or continues straight on to Interchange Station in Solihull, Old Oak Common Station and London Euston.

In this report the people doing the clever bit - Freyssinet - get a bit more than the usual minor billing. It's their slide bearing and jacks, and they lay claim to the whole idea, as autoripage or autofanage (the difference is subtle). Of course  there's a movie.

[ChrisB]

I wondered why the M42 was closed betweenb J9 & J10 over Christmas!

[infoman]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) reporting that the HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) line might only run as far as West London and not go into central London.

[TaplowGreen]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) reporting that the HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) line might only run as far as West London and not go into central London.

Here's the report.


https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64421566

https://twitter.com/BBCBreakfast/status/1618855226726809603?t=nX2xMHOCjT749zuPI_nJ1Q&s=19

[Red Squirrel]

BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) reporting that the HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) line might only run as far as West London and not go into central London.

The BBC is actually reporting that the Sun is reporting this. I wonder who told the Sun?

[Marlburian]

I heard the report live. Because of rising costs contractors can't deliver within their original budgets. Treasury opposed to giving extra money.

[Witham Bobby]

Referring to the bridge over the M42, upthread, I drive along here regularly.  Before the bridge was positioned, the roadway was dug up and renewed - the impression you get is that there is a tunnel or culvert below the motorway, made of reinforced concrete box sections.

Anyway, one day my brother was in the car with me, and I had him 100% convinced that there was going to be a level crossing

[stuving]

I heard the report live. Because of rising costs contractors can't deliver within their original budgets. Treasury opposed to giving extra money.

And the Pope is ...?

If you look at the wording of the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page)'s report, it says:

The Sun reported that rising inflation and construction costs mean HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) trains may terminate in the suburbs of west London instead.

The paper said bosses were considering pushing back its Euston terminus to 2038, or scrapping it completely.

Now, we know there has been a "comprehensive spending review" going on, and a lot of pressure from HM Treasury across government to find more savings (though not announced as such).

For example, look at what the Guardian was reporting ahead of the autumn statement:

Hunt is looking at cuts to the £100bn-plus capital spending budget as he seeks to fill an approximately £50bn black hole in the public finances at his fiscal event on 17 November. “We are looking at all capital spending as part of the autumn statement,” one Whitehall source said.

Asked last week whether HS2, which is over budget, could also be subject to cuts, Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, said: “I am sure everything will be reviewed.”

It doesn't look like they have found enough yet; mind you, without a clear idea of how to regard inflation (is is really an overspend if you are just following the approved plan?), "enough" can't be defined. So the hunt for savings (for Hunt) goes on.

For capital spending, the Treasury's edict is roughly for "all spending to be reviewed, including as options the redesign, deferral, or cancellation of all or part of each programme, and the potential savings assessed" and reported to them.

Which is pretty much what the BBC said. What comes out of all those assessments and any decisions based on them is another matter.

[TaplowGreen]

Hunt now saying it will go to Central London.