Mailwatch(ed) Forum

Drop the "early" and it sounds more plausible

HS2 will go to Leeds and may even arrive

That's what he meant to say.

I don't know if old Andy's laying it on thick here- railway viaducts aren't exactly unknown in cities.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... manchester

Government planning ‘to put HS2 on stilts through Manchester’
Andy Burnham demands underground station for new route rather than cheaper series of viaducts

But I think he's got a point about through platforms being important. It's enough of a nuisance the train having to back out of Gloucester Station on the way towards London, let alone what it must be like at Manchester Piccadilly.

Manchester's not exactly short of railway viaducts though, is it?

I have to say my patience with Burnham is wearing thin.

Boiler wrote: ↑Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:51 pm Manchester's not exactly short of railway viaducts though, is it?

I have to say my patience with Burnham is wearing thin.

If you're expecting anyone connected with Manchester to have a sense of proportion you'll be waiting a long time.

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:16 pm I don't know if old Andy's laying it on thick here- railway viaducts aren't exactly unknown in cities.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... manchester

Government planning ‘to put HS2 on stilts through Manchester’
Andy Burnham demands underground station for new route rather than cheaper series of viaducts

But I think he's got a point about through platforms being important. It's enough of a nuisance the train having to back out of Gloucester Station on the way towards London, let alone what it must be like at Manchester Piccadilly.

It's been a while since I was in Manchester (last time was 2014) but there was a viaduct carrying the line from Piccadilly to Oxford Road, plus the Ordsall Chord that cut the demonstration line at MOSI in half where "Lion" ran past Liverpool Road station. I think there were a few disused viaducts too.

I think trains reverse at Halifax station too?

There must be lots of stations where that happens. There was talk a while ago of a new through station in Gloucester being built on the mainline. Doesn't sound like it went anywhere. One reason might be that lots of people who use Gloucester Station now don't care too much about the reversing, If you had to get a shuttle to the new station and change, that would be a nuisance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glouceste ... ay_station

There may have been some crossed wires in that article, btw. I thought it was funny I'd never heard of HS2 on stilts before.

There may have been some crossed wires in that article, btw. I thought it was funny I'd never heard of HS2 on stilts before. And I think Manchester is an HS2 terminus.

Dan Hodges has got the memo. The line isn't that they've broken a load of promises. It's that Labour (who have recommitted to both scrapped projects) want to spend, spend, spend.

That would be fine if it this wasn’t framed as “levelling up”.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59368707

Could have saved themselves some money here by reading some of the articles by experts at the time.

The Scotland Ireland bridge.

mattomac wrote: ↑Sun Nov 21, 2021 9:18 pm https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59368707

Could have saved themselves some money here by reading some of the articles by experts at the time.

Another of Spaffer's vanity projects helps none but the consultants.

Stick it on the failure pile (if you can reach the top).

The government's first attempt at "levelling up" doesn't go quite as planned

This was inevitable. They hated Labour spending relatively more on poorer kids, hated it when the Lib Dems made them do it,

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Tue Nov 30, 2021 9:55 pm This was inevitable. They hated Labour spending relatively more on poorer kids, hated it when the Lib Dems made them do it,

No Shit

Been happening since 2010.

'Fair' distribution, so Cheltenham gets the same funding as Tower Hamlets.

Cheltenham has its share of economic and educational deprivation, as it goes. It dumps most of its social tenants in a couple of areas (Hester's Way, St Paul's), and anyone who can avoids the two schools that the kids from there go to.

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Wed Dec 01, 2021 2:13 pm Cheltenham has its share of economic and educational deprivation, as it goes. It dumps most of its social tenants in a couple of areas (Hester's Way, St Paul's), and anyone who can avoids the two schools that the kids from there go to.

I knew someone would post that (well, I knew Tubbz would)

You understand my point, though?

And no, social disadvantage in Cheltenham is not equivalent to that in Tower Hamlets.

Malcolm Armsteen wrote:

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Wed Dec 01, 2021 2:13 pm Cheltenham has its share of economic and educational deprivation, as it goes. It dumps most of its social tenants in a couple of areas (Hester's Way, St Paul's), and anyone who can avoids the two schools that the kids from there go to.

I knew someone would post that (well, I knew Tubbz would)

You understand my point, though?

And no, social disadvantage in Cheltenham is not equivalent to that in Tower Hamlets.

The Conservatives on Bolton council pull this "fair distribution" shtick when they try to justify each ward in the town getting an equal share of funds. In purely numerical terms every ward is "equal". In reality though, the more affluent wards benefit more (who often vote Tory. Who'd think!) as their infrastructure (like roads) are in much better shape already.

What a conservative politician thinks is "fair" doesn't always match up with what a lot of people think is fair!!

My point precisely.