HS2

[Bernard Lamb]

2 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

... with insensitivity to societal and environmental impact.

I wonder who they got that idea from?

Sounds rather like the British Empire to me.

Bernard

[Compound2632]

20 minutes ago, Bernard Lamb said:

Sounds rather like the British Empire to me.

 

Although that was run not by scientists and engineers but by classicists. On the other hand, those classicists had as their idea of empire the Roman one, that was run by engineers. (The science being provided by enslaved Greeks; cf the role of Scotsmen in the British Empire.)

[jjb1970]

36 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

Interesting article here.

 

https://www.sciencetechniz.com/2019/04/the-chinese-cabinet-dominated-by.html

 

No wonder China powers forward.

 

Brit15

 

 

 

 

 

There's still a culture in much of Asia that real higher education is science/maths, engineering, medicine and law, with the other subjects existing for those who can't study these. They do value hard science, maths and engineering very highly.

[jjb1970]

28 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

... with insensitivity to societal and environmental impact.

 

They've lifted countless millions out of poverty and improved all sorts of societal indicators. Their environmental regulations are now pretty rigorous and in some clean technologies they're pulling ahead of the west.

[phil-b259]

58 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

 

They've lifted countless millions out of poverty and improved all sorts of societal indicators. Their environmental regulations are now pretty rigorous and in some clean technologies they're pulling ahead of the west.

 

While at the same time carrying out cultural genocide (Uyghurs*) and inflicting all sorts of human rights abuses on persons who dare to criticise / obstruct the ruling communist party lest it lose its grip on power. Meanwhile XI continues his manipulation of the party to ensure he remains premier for life.

 

In that context it doesn't matter how wonderful the country may have been in 'lifting people out of poverty' or the significant improvements they have made in environmental legislation in recent years  - until the Communist party ceases its distinctly repressive controls on the inhabitants its impossible to praise the nation as a whole.

 

* https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-22278037

 

[Compound2632]

1 hour ago, jjb1970 said:

They've lifted countless millions out of poverty and improved all sorts of societal indicators. 

 

3 minutes ago, phil-b259 said:

While at the same time carrying out cultural genocide (Uyghurs*) and inflicting all sorts of human rights abuses on persons who dare to criticise / obstruct the ruling communist party lest it lose its grip on power.

 

Still sounds like the British Empire to me.

 

They're even building railways around the world.

[Phil Parker]

The Chinese aren't building HS2 - so can we get back to the topic before this becomes rowdy. Thanks.

[Compound2632]

23 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

The Chinese aren't building HS2

 

Neither, it sometimes seems, are the British...

[corneliuslundie]

But the last people you want running a country are politicians.

Jonathan

[kryten65]

Apologies for the tardiness of this update, work has recommenced on the green tunnel at Chipping Warden very slowly..... 

But as you can see from the picture it's not quite the same procedure as before, the eagle eyed amongst you may notice the right hand bore is somewhat lacking in movement. The stumbling block is the gap you can just make out on centre line. This is the first of the emergency door opening between tunnels that seems to be causing a bit of an issue! 

[woodenhead]

Makes you wonder how much they would save if they simply cut back the green tunnels to just absolutely where they intend things to be above it, or even abandon that too - it would just be three miles of cutting to lay track in.

[APOLLO]

Totally over the top is HS2 to me. It's just another railway like the many thousands of others in the UK.

 

Why hide in artificial expensive tunnels it at huge cost, in areas (The Chilterns) that are just NOT beautiful like some areas we have up north where railways actually enhance the natural beauty of the landscape.

 

 

 

 

Brit 15

[Mark Saunders]

1 hour ago, APOLLO said:

Totally over the top is HS2 to me. It's just another railway like the many thousands of others in the UK.

 

Why hide in artificial expensive tunnels it at huge cost, in areas (The Chilterns) that are just NOT beautiful like some areas we have up north where railways actually enhance the natural beauty of the landscape.

 

 

 

 

Brit 15

 

Nothing new its been the same since the initial building of the railways, the landed Gentry and NIMBYS.

 

[jjb1970]

I remember all the same arguments about HS1 and now I get the impression that people in Kent barely notice the line. 

[melmerby]

11 hours ago, Mark Saunders said:

 

Nothing new its been the same since the initial building of the railways, the landed Gentry and NIMBYS.

 

In fact anything of note.

Probably had the same arguments when the canals were being dug.

 

Damn Romans, how dare they build a road through here!😄

Edited May 25, 2023 by melmerby

[Player of trains]

3 minutes ago, melmerby said:

In fact anything of note.

Probably had the same arguments when the canals were being dug.

 

Damn Romans, how dare they build a road through here!😄

 

 

[jamie92208]

Fortunately the Chiltern nimbys were bought of just like the landed gentry got cut and cover tunnels and the project is going ahead with some fabulous engineering to see.  I believe that quite a few bridge abutments are being built, does anyone drive past the work sites who could provide photos. 

 

Jamie

[Fat Controller]

9 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

I remember all the same arguments about HS1 and now I get the impression that people in Kent barely notice the line. 

One thing we do notice is that the E* doesn't stop in Kent!

[Grovenor]

2 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Fortunately the Chiltern nimbys were bought of just like the landed gentry got cut and cover tunnels and the project is going ahead with some fabulous engineering to see.  I believe that quite a few bridge abutments are being built, does anyone drive past the work sites who could provide photos. 

Jamie

Plenty such photos and drone flights in this thread, just try looking back a few pages. 🙂

[jamie92208]

6 hours ago, Grovenor said:

Plenty such photos and drone flights in this thread, just try looking back a few pages. 🙂

I'm aware of those and have posted several.  What I'm trying to encourage is for other people, who read this thread and must drive past the works to post update photos.  On the last drone video  of the EWR/HS2  crossing there were some distant views of bridge abutments that haven't been seen before. 

 

Jamie

Edited May 25, 2023 by jamie92208

[Michael Hodgson]

5 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

One thing we do notice is that the E* doesn't stop in Kent!

Why would it?  The only reason we go to Dover or Folkestone is to catch a boat and cross the Channel.

Couldn't we just turn the M20 into a lorry park?

[Fat Controller]

19 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Why would it?  The only reason we go to Dover or Folkestone is to catch a boat and cross the Channel.

Couldn't we just turn the M20 into a lorry park?

We live a few miles from Ashford; until relatively recently, we could take taxi or car to Ashford and connect with a train to Parism  in time for luncg. It is galling to have to go to St Pancras and double back, especially since we've both spent 25 years + involved with building and running the fixed-link.

[lmsforever]

The latest news from around Aylesbury ,afraid it seems to be going slowly,  in Quainton just at the end of the station platform the road bridge is to be rebuilt by HS2 this will extend over the NR line and then over the high speed route.On the new A418 diversion near Stone and Hartwell  the work has slowed considerably with no visible progress  also the Thame viaduct is at a standstill ,I went through the Waddesdon Crossroads area on the way to Quainton and noted that progress has been made on road bases, bridges that will form the new junction from the A41 and the start of the Waddesdon bypass .Signs are warning of week long road closures early June so maybe we will be going to Quainton via new roads soon ,you can see the new A41 in place waiting for connection to the new road in the distance .This part of the world seems to be progressing with speed and you can start to work out just what will be in place when the work progresses .Not sure just what is going on at Wendover  the bridge over the A413 and the railway is about to start and will be impressive and work is going on by the NR station but is difficult to work out.just what is happenning elsewhere .Thats all for now  hope when I next report  work will hve progressed.

[Bernard Lamb]

3 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

We live a few miles from Ashford; until relatively recently, we could take taxi or car to Ashford and connect with a train to Parism  in time for luncg. It is galling to have to go to St Pancras and double back, especially since we've both spent 25 years + involved with building and running the fixed-link.

In a similar vein I can remember passing through Milton Keynes one day and seeing a Eurostar train on a trial run. I was looking forward to just having the short hop there to catch a train to Paris, without the bother of changing trains and stations in London. Alas it never came to anything.

Bernard

[Ron Ron Ron]

 

 

 

 

 

 

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