QUOTE (pbonnay @ May 21 2014, 06:46 PM)
The money spent on HS2 would not necessarily be spent elsewhere.
In which case wouldn't it reduce our deficit?
QUOTE (pbonnay @ May 21 2014, 06:46 PM)
There would also be a huge positive knock-on effect for UK plc in jobs and economic activity in building it.
Depends rather on who the contracts are awarded to. I have heard this argument quite a lot, but I'm not sure that I believe it. I think that's what people are trying to find out.
QUOTE (pbonnay @ May 21 2014, 06:46 PM)
I know that in Spain, building a high speed line from Madrid down to Seville did not have the desired effect, but that had a lot to do with the way it was funded and the general economy. Birmingham and Manchester are already established areas of high population and business.
So wouldn't it be better for the businesses to employ locally?
QUOTE (pbonnay @ May 21 2014, 06:46 PM)
When I used to fly from Manchester back to London, sometimes half the time in the air was stacking and waiting for a landing slot on a Friday evening. HS2 is as much about capacity as speed.
Don't know too much about UK flight routes, but i would have thought some of the regional airports would be a better bet than HR for people based in and around Newbury?
QUOTE (pbonnay @ May 21 2014, 06:46 PM)
Electric trains can be powered by much greener energy than any plane, and if more people used the train then it would also alleviate congestion at LHR.
Yes but presumably there will be congestion at the train stations?