Post by tim...Post by e27002Post by tim...Post by e27002 auroraPost by Roland PerryPost by ReclinerPost by Roland PerryPost by ReclinerPost by Roland PerryPost by ReclinerLooks like the government is hoping for some private investment in the
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/private-investors-hop-on-board-the-varsity-line-nnkslfckw?shareToken=d71e16504ea9be5e6fa784c256c354e6
A bit muddled; the "Eastern" section of E-W is the part from Cambridge
to Norwich/Ipswich, the Bedford-Cambridge section is the "Central" one
and judging by the vagueness expressed in the article doesn't look any
closer than it was a year ago.
The "Western" section, as far as Bedford, is already in the
pipeline,
so
this is just the umpteenth re-announcement of something we knew already.
The 'news' is that they've put in some modest government funding in
the hope of triggering a larger amount of private sector investment.
In other words, in the absence of the latter, further progress east of
Bicester is unlikely.
You make it sound like the Western Section Phase 2 has been kicked into
the long grass. That is (fsvo) bad news rather than good news. And makes
the infamous Central section even more of a pipedream.
It could be that I'm being too cynical, but when reports emerge about
the government encouraging private sector investment in projects that
were previously regarded as public sector, I generally assume it's
because the public sector funding has dried up.
There's definitely an aura of "s106 mk2" about this.
But I've never been that convinced that the project isn't a vanity one
based on reviving a non-existent "Golden Age".
1. A freight route for avoiding London.
there is already a perfectly adequate alternative route from Felixstowe to
Peterborough/Birmingham
what other flows are you considering that might need a second alternative
Google "freight spine".
what's that got to do with anything?
Duh, it uses the western part of East-East. Do keep up.
Post by tim...Post by e27002Post by tim...Post by e27002 aurora2. A passenger link between the town along its route.
flows which see next to no traffic demand
A bit like the Waverley route, prior to re-opening, then.
Not at all
The Waverly route joined some places with no railway to the most desirable
destination possible
E-W rail joins places with no railway to other places with no railway.
East-West rail joins towns with railways, that otherwise can only
reach each other, by a long detour by way of London. This adds to the
load on London's railways already overwhelmed railways.
Post by tim...Post by e27002Post by tim...Post by e27002 auroraThese should be
supplement with new London overspill towns where East West crosses
other routes.
cart before horse
perhaps we should decide if we are going to have such new towns before
building the railway to serve them
This has been mentioned by a Mr Clegg of the Liberal Democrat Party. The
alternative is to relax London's Green Belt. That would be folly.
Perhaps it would, but there is currently no plan
Post by e27002Or, feel free to present your solution to London's housing need.
I didn't say that I was against any specific plan..
I am saying that you can't make a plan for a new overspill town by building
the railway first.
Only government can do this sort of strategic planning. The UK's
population had stabilized at about 60 million. The European adventure
has caused a significant rise. This spigot will soon be turned off.
Meanwhile there needs to be a plan for the southeast that includes
roads and railways. Developers will build when land is available.
Local planners need to ensure schools, medical facilities, parks etc.
are scaled to the likely expansion.
IMHO East West rail can play a significant role. Perhaps we should
agree to differ.
Post by tim...There are proposals for new builds round my way, which total approaching
100,000 new houses as extensions to current centres of population. No new
railway would be needed to serve them
I think that they are all eminently sensible and should be given the go
ahead ASAP, but all the local Nimbys are against them
I suspect that the situation is the same in the Northern Home Counties (both
points)
tim