Join for free
Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 > Last »
swimfeeders
Chatterbox
swimfeeders is offline
Shropshire
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 24,056
swimfeeders is male  swimfeeders has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
15-02-2020, 03:47 PM
1

China and HS2

Hi

China have apparently offered to build HS2 for us at less cost, with faster trains and do it in 5 years.

Seems a good idea.
AnnieS's Avatar
AnnieS
Chatterbox
AnnieS is offline
United Kingdom
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 18,420
AnnieS is female  AnnieS has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
15-02-2020, 03:57 PM
2

Re: China and HS2

Haven't we committed to long term contracts with nasty penalty clauses in the case of early decommissioning?
swimfeeders
Chatterbox
swimfeeders is offline
Shropshire
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 24,056
swimfeeders is male  swimfeeders has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
15-02-2020, 04:22 PM
3

Re: China and HS2

Originally Posted by AnnieS ->
Haven't we committed to long term contracts with nasty penalty clauses in the case of early decommissioning?
Hi

My understanding is no.

The Contracts are subject to cost and time conditions, both of which have not been met by HS2.

The construction contracts have nor even been signed yet for most of the work.

The Government is learning from Crossrail, over budget and long delayed.

We are not good at delivery of infrastructure. contracts.

The Chinese are.

They will still be using UK Contractors and labour, but the Project Management will be Chinese.
Judd's Avatar
Judd
Chatterbox
Judd is offline
West Riding of Yorkshire
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 12,538
Judd is male  Judd has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
15-02-2020, 05:14 PM
4

Re: China and HS2

Considering that Chinese labour built the Trans-Pacific railway across the US, I would say that they have experience in railway construction. If they can do HS2 quicker and cheaper, let them.
Percy Vere's Avatar
Percy Vere
Senior Member
Percy Vere is offline
Wilds and woolly wastes of Staffordshire, UK
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 4,792
Percy Vere is male  Percy Vere has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
15-02-2020, 05:15 PM
5

Re: China and HS2

They'd probably want to use cheap and under-specified Chinese steel for the rails too, which would help the steel industry in South Wales or the North East of England.
JBR's Avatar
JBR
Chatterbox
JBR is offline
Cheshire, UK
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 32,785
JBR is male  JBR has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
15-02-2020, 05:29 PM
6

Re: China and HS2

I can see the possible advantages.

I'm sure we are all aware of how our own construction companies, road repair organisations and the like tend to move at a snail's pace. I wouldn't like to say whether that is due to slow workers, a poor supply chain or inefficient bureaucracy, but the evidence of their lack of speed is everywhere to be seen, especially when there are miles of cones on our roads accompanied by no apparent workings or plant for months at a time.

I compare this to what I saw in Saudi Arabia. Gangs of Korean men could build a flyover in no time at all, certainly a lot quicker than ever happens in this country.

I don't know whether other workers and companies, Chinese or Korean, would charge more than our own. I suspect that, as well as completing work much more quickly, it would turn out to be cheaper as well.

Quite apart from all this HS2 nonsense which, of course, most people would never use, our money would be better spent upgrading and improving our existing lines, especially in the North which, needless to say, has suffered under-investment compared to Londonistan for many, many years.
swimfeeders
Chatterbox
swimfeeders is offline
Shropshire
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 24,056
swimfeeders is male  swimfeeders has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
15-02-2020, 05:50 PM
7

Re: China and HS2

Hi

The Chinese are not proposing to bring in their own Labour, just the Managers.

We can specify the steel etc, .

We need to forget what we historivally think that happened.

The Chinese have a vast High Speed Rail Network which works.

So does Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

It works a bloody sight better than our crap system.

They have Monsoons and Typhoons, they build to accommodate them.

They do not stop working for a few leaves on the lines.

The Chinese are building our new Nuclear Power Station,

The French are operating it.

That is a measure of how far we have gone behind.
Silver Tabby's Avatar
Silver Tabby
Chatterbox
Silver Tabby is offline
God's own county!
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 24,659
Silver Tabby is female  Silver Tabby has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
15-02-2020, 07:03 PM
8

Re: China and HS2

Originally Posted by swimfeeders ->
Hi

China have apparently offered to build HS2 for us at less cost, with faster trains and do it in 5 years.

Seems a good idea.
No - it doesn't.

a) We don't need the damn thing.
b) As others have already said the money would be better spent elsewhere.
c) The Chinese have enough footholds over here already.
keezoy
Senior Member
keezoy is offline
Australia
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 3,579
keezoy is male  keezoy has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
16-02-2020, 12:54 AM
9

Re: China and HS2

Originally Posted by Silver Tabby ->
No - it doesn't.

a) We don't need the damn thing.
b) As others have already said the money would be better spent elsewhere.
c) The Chinese have enough footholds over here already.
Totally agree ST. Same here. Plans for a VFT (The really fast one) to link all major east coast cities have been on the table for decades. Nothing yet, although I think inter city train travel here is fine (THose that whinge and whine about it have not done it in some other countries in the world) The US still only has one "reasonably" high speed train between Washington, New York, Philly and Boston I think. Everybody flies here. I can think of lots of things we need first - without turning to China. They have already leased The Port of Darwin (NOt the city) for 99 years. Enough. What happened to the famous British tradition of heavy engineering? There are enough skills, brains and experience in Britain to build the VFT - Tracks, trains, stations the lot - yourself surely.?..If I were you I would ask the Germans, French and Dutch for input before China.
AnnieS's Avatar
AnnieS
Chatterbox
AnnieS is offline
United Kingdom
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 18,420
AnnieS is female  AnnieS has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
16-02-2020, 12:59 AM
10

Re: China and HS2

As it's been released to the media it means that the govt have already decided this is the way forward. Closer links to China are clearly planned post brexit. This is the warm up. In a few weeks I bet everyone will be saying what a great idea this is. Welcome to the future!
 
Page 1 of 4 1 2 3 > Last »

Thread Tools


© Copyright 2009, Over50sForum   Contact Us | Over 50s Forum! | Archive | Privacy Statement | Terms of Use | Top

Powered by vBulletin Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.