Is it just another great big scam?

[Anna B]

Taken from a letter in the paper (DM.) I haven't checked the figures but if they're correct questions should be asked.

 

Regarding the projected cost of £50 billion to build HS2;

 

In Switzerland the building of the Lotchsberb base tunnel, the longest in Europe at 34.6Km, travels through the Alps at a depth of 2KM in places. It involved the removal of 16 million tonnes of rock. It carries both passengers and freight, 90 trains a day at up to 200 kph.

Completed just six years ago, it cost £2.8 billion.

 

The Italo in Italy travels between Rome and Naples at 300kph. 50 trains a day carry 23,000 passengers.

Completed in 2009, it cost £4.3 billion.

 

The Marmaray, under construction in Turkey, is part of the Istanbul Metro and the deepest land tunnel in the world, 58m below sea level under the Bosphorus. This 9 year project, built in an earthquake zone, carries extreme engineering problems, but will carry a million passengers a day when it opens shortly.

When completed will have cost £2.5 billion.

 

So can somebody explain why HS2 will cost so much? £50 billion and rising?

Do we ever get the truth out of politicians? Are they scamming us, or just incompetent?

[Happ Hazzard]

Two words. "Human Rights".

[Bypassblade]

Two words. "Human Rights".

 

More like "Lining pockets"

[Doom]

Is the cost of £50billion based on today's costs or is it the cost at completion?

 

In 20 years time £50billion will be worth considerably less than today, just like £2.8billion was worth more 6 years ago than it is today.

 

To do a like for like comparison all costs need converting to current values.

 

Regards

 

Doom

[Anna B]

Is the cost of £50billion based on today's costs or is it the cost at completion?

 

In 20 years time £50billion will be worth considerably less than today, just like £2.8billion was worth more 6 years ago than it is today.

 

To do a like for like comparison all costs need converting to current values.

 

Regards

 

Doom

 

Well, if it's anything like Olympics, which started out at 9 billion and ended up costing £100+ we haven't a hope of bringing it in for under 500 billion.

 

The point is why is it always so much more than they originally estimate, and always so much more expensive than other countries?

[andyofborg]

i imagine that much of the cost will be the purchasing of the land

[Anna B]

Is the cost of £50billion based on today's costs or is it the cost at completion?

 

In 20 years time £50billion will be worth considerably less than today, just like £2.8billion was worth more 6 years ago than it is today.

 

To do a like for like comparison all costs need converting to current values.

 

Regards

 

Doom

 

Inflation is supposedly less than 3%. Over 6 years that's 18%. Hardly accounts for the massive difference in cost.

[Doom]

Well, if it's anything like Olympics, which started out at 9 billion and ended up costing £100+ we haven't a hope of bringing it in for under 500 billion.

 

The point is why is it always so much more than they originally estimate, and always so much more expensive than other countries?

 

I blame the Quantity Surveyors and Engineers.

 

Regards

 

Doom

[Anna B]

i imagine that much of the cost will be the purchasing of the land

 

If they used the old Central Line route, closed by Beeching, much of the land would already be available, and much cheaper.

 

But then governments only go in for value-for-money when it suits them.

[Mikes10]

According to the following link the cost is about £80 billion, personally I thought about £95 billion ( £100 billion would just be a rip off )

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/10249815/High-speed-rail-scheme-cost-to-double-to-80bn-economists-warn.html

 

 

Just one other point for a train to travel at high speed the track needs to be 'Arrow Straight', that is without bends or curves or it may leave the track.