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[Varche]

So the plans for the extension to Manchester and Leeds are announced today.

With overuns etc it will cost £2,000 per household apparently. Here is hoping it will be good value and not bogged down with construction delays, budget overuns and when it opens prohibitive ticket prices. Spain has a mighty fine High Speed train network( second longest in the world) but many trains run with hardly anyone on them. No one has any money and the prices of tickets are erm a lot.

So can a younger forum member make a note of how much they said it would cost now and then make a comparison with the actual cost when it opens in 20 or so years time? 

I think the timing of this is a bit off. Should have been planned and executed 20 years ago. Now I am fairly confident it will end up owned by a foreign company for a purchase price of peanuts. Still it will provide much needed employment for a few years.

[Kevin Wood]

but.. We have to have one 'cos France have got one.

[omega3000]

Absolute waste of money  Hope the protesters stop the go ahead .

[tunnie]

The problem is what to do in another 50 years time? I feel its not needed now, but will be but not for considerable amount of time. This HS2 will get pushed through I think, once built and in use, I can see in 50/75 years time, it being used as main London feed and West cost or East coast getting serious over-haul or re-built.

Problem is its going to be flawed, as Chiltern, East & West Coast will be significantly cheaper. Just because it gets to London 40 mins 50 mins or what ever sooner, does not really matter these days.

We would rather pay less & take more time getting there.

[albitz]

It may open up the possibilty of people further north to commute to London,who wouldnt consider it now ?
I remember seeing a bloke on TV a few years ago who commuted to London from Yorkshire to earn good money,but live in a much cheaper,quieter,less crowded place.He was obviously an exception,which is why he was on TV, but it may be more viable for others if an hour each way was trimmed off the journey time.
Could also encourage businesses to locate oop tnath,if it didnt take so long to get there ?
I dont know much about the subject at all tbh,but generally speaking,better,more modern infractructure seems a good idea.

[tunnie]

It may open up the possibilty of people further north to commute to London,who wouldnt consider it now ?

But the cost saved of slower travel I think would override this, savings could be huge.

HS1, suffered badly from low passenger numbers as fares are around 20% higher than regular services.

You get up 20 mins earlier, save around £90 a month on HS1.

I used to pay £420 per month about 5 years ago to do Bicester North to London (including tube). Given same rules ish, if I was offered at the time a HS route for £500? I'd say sod it, I'd rather have £80 to pay for my lunches for the month...

[albitz]

An individual choice I suppose.
Daughter moved to London years ago due to extortionate train fares,appalling service,and the amount of time spent commutting,which seems completely sensible as long as you dont mind living in a big city.Personally,I think living in a big city when your young is a no brainer.

[Lizzie_Zoom]

It may open up the possibilty of people further north to commute to London,who wouldnt consider it now ?
I remember seeing a bloke on TV a few years ago who commuted to London from Yorkshire to earn good money,but live in a much cheaper,quieter,less crowded place.He was obviously an exception,which is why he was on TV, but it may be more viable for others if an hour each way was trimmed off the journey time.
Could also encourage businesses to locate oop tnath,if it didnt take so long to get there ?
I dont know much about the subject at all tbh,but generally speaking,better,more modern infractructure seems a good idea.

I agree with you Albitz, as I think everyone knows I am very much in favour of this new - future - rail link that we will need, including for the reasons you suggest.

We cannot continue attempting to go into the future with our rail travel relying on a Victorian infrastructure.   Let the North thrive again

[tunnie]

An individual choice I suppose.
Daughter moved to London years ago due to extortionate train fares,appalling service,and the amount of time spent commutting,which seems completely sensible as long as you dont mind living in a big city.Personally,I think living in a big city when your young is a no brainer.

As you say its personal choice 

I chose to commute in, as it allowed me to save much more than renting in the city. Save save save, to then buy in London.

[albitz]

An individual choice I suppose.
Daughter moved to London years ago due to extortionate train fares,appalling service,and the amount of time spent commutting,which seems completely sensible as long as you dont mind living in a big city.Personally,I think living in a big city when your young is a no brainer.

As you say its personal choice 

I chose to commute in, as it allowed me to save much more than renting in the city. Save save save, to then buy in London.

After 18 months in Oz,she has now returned to Londinium and is paying £1000 pcm for a 12x12 room and shared facilities in a flat.
Its ok though,as its in a trendy area.

[tunnie]

An individual choice I suppose.
Daughter moved to London years ago due to extortionate train fares,appalling service,and the amount of time spent commutting,which seems completely sensible as long as you dont mind living in a big city.Personally,I think living in a big city when your young is a no brainer.

As you say its personal choice 

I chose to commute in, as it allowed me to save much more than renting in the city. Save save save, to then buy in London.

After 18 months in Oz,she has now returned to Londinium and is paying £1000 pcm for a 12x12 room and shared facilities in a flat.
Its ok though,as its in a trendy area.

At a guess, Shoreditch? A mate lives there, he says its best part of London as its trendy. I think its a shit hole though 

[albitz]

Yep,well very close to it actually,near the old spitalfields market ............I dont mind the place tbh,but it does tend to get very full of pretentious tw*ts who must be seen to carry an Applemac under one arm and a copy of the Grauniad under the other.It also seems that hetrosexuality is frowned upon too,its just sooooo last century you know.
But Kiera Knightley lives just round the corner and is often seen in the same trendy shops  as the daughter,so its all good,.

[aaronjb]

I used to pay £420 per month about 5 years ago to do Bicester North to London (including tube). Given same rules ish, if I was offered at the time a HS route for £500? I'd say sod it, I'd rather have £80 to pay for my lunches for the month...

I'm surprised how cheap that is.. ok, cheap isn't the right word, reasonable? I reckon I clear £300 in fuel doing just a 40 mile round trip for work each day!

[albitz]

Last year I was using £200 per month of LPG per month (mostly for commuting) but have now reduced that to approx £75.

[tunnie]

I used to pay £420 per month about 5 years ago to do Bicester North to London (including tube). Given same rules ish, if I was offered at the time a HS route for £500? I'd say sod it, I'd rather have £80 to pay for my lunches for the month...

I'm surprised how cheap that is.. ok, cheap isn't the right word, reasonable? I reckon I clear £300 in fuel doing just a 40 mile round trip for work each day!

Add in car parking and it was £500+

Think it was £84 for a monthly car parking ticket, to be honest, I did not mind, at time, iPod touch with TV Shows on, flew by. Read books too which was first for me.

Now with iPads, and other tablets can watch a whole film on nice big screen. Maybe I'm along in that time savings is not all that