Has Covid-19 made HS2 an even bigger white elephant than before?

[studiot]

Government after government has committed increasing and enormous sums to the HS2 rail project so that a handful of businessmen can travel from London between Birmingham a few minutes more quickly.
Apparantly  they claim this is essential to the economic wellbeing of the UK, some even suggest the country would collapse economically without it.

Along comes Covid and what do you know?

Businessmen suddenly do not need to travel betwen London and Birnmingham. The age of videoworking has arrived.

My question for discussion lies in the title to this thread.

[dimreepr]

7 minutes ago, studiot said:

My question for discussion lies in the title to this thread.

I hope so, I also hope we start to understand the relative value of businessmen versus farmers/bin-men...

[joigus]

Great post and point! +1

Business class drives the train all human kind is faring by. Could it be more obvious? Their pants are on fire and Nature has blown on them.

[MigL]

Air travel has been even more impacted by Covid-19.
I wish we had a better ( cheaper ? ) rail system in North America, similar to European systems.
I love taking the train in Europe.

[Phi for All]

1 hour ago, dimreepr said:

I hope so, I also hope we start to understand the relative value of businessmen versus farmers/bin-men...

The key here is to keep them running businesses, and not trying to warp their ability to make money into something it's not. Like political savvy, or science acumen, or anything that's not about making money. 

Didn't y'all have to sell your first high-speed train to some Canadians? What do these trains run on? They aren't maglev, and I always think of that as the ultimate for trains (not a train guy, though).

[John Cuthber]

On 6/22/2020 at 2:05 PM, studiot said:

Government after government has committed increasing and enormous sums to the HS2 rail project so that a handful of businessmen can travel from London between Birmingham a few minutes more quickly.

No they have not.

That's the straw man version.

 

The actual reason is that having a second line doubles the capacity which should cut down on the delays which, in addition to being annoying, are expensive.

It means that the local services don't have to stop + get out of the way of the mainline ones.

The real question is why is it so expensive.

[studiot]

55 minutes ago, John Cuthber said:

No they have not.

That's the straw man version.

 

The actual reason is that having a second line doubles the capacity which should cut down on the delays which, in addition to being annoying, are expensive.

It means that the local services don't have to stop + get out of the way of the mainline ones.

The real question is why is it so expensive.

 

I didn't ask if the project was worthwhile or even to whom it might be worthwhile, though yes I made my opinion of it clear.

I asked if the social changes brought about by Covid make it redundant.

Please discuss the question asked.

[Area54]

1 hour ago, studiot said:

I didn't ask if the project was worthwhile or even to whom it might be worthwhile, though yes I made my opinion of it clear.

Unfortunately your characterisation of the project is misleading and arguably seriously in error. That is, for some, a major distraction from what you wish to discuss.

But on a lighter note - if it's an even larger white elphant that may provide the space for effective social distancing.