The Null Device

High Speed Two

Apparently the UK and Scottish governments are in discussion on building a high-speed railway line from Scotland to England. The details of the line aren't known, though it'd be built to Eurostar specifications, and would connect London to Glasgow. It would take a decade or so to build, and prices costs start at £9bn.

Where in London it would terminate is another question; one high-speed rail proposal involves making Heathrow the national high-speed rail hub, with Eurostar trains and trains going elsewhere in Britain terminating there. Which sends the message that, if you're travelling from, say, Glasgow to the continent, you're going to be changing at Heathrow anyway, so you may as well fly; not exactly encouraging environmental responsibility. (Of course, this is assuming that flying remains affordable; if not, then siting a major rail terminus at a site with an airport and not much else is just stupid planning.)

There are 2 comments on "High Speed Two":

Posted by: kstop Tue Jun 3 16:50:24 2008

<i>prices start at £9bn.</i>

Is that a single or return?

Posted by: acb http://dev.null.org/acb/ Tue Jun 3 17:50:38 2008

I should probably have phrased that better. Anyway, it's costs now.