Community post
The UK's HS2 'High Speed' train is beyond a joke. I can't even comprehend how annoyed I am right now.
OK... ok, look at this list of countries and tell me what they have in common:
- Guatemala
- Belarus
- DR Congo
- Serbia
- Venezuela
- Costa Rica
- Panama
- Luxembourg
- Tunisia
- Zimbabwe
- Cambodia
- Iceland
- Niger
Go on, take a guess.
Nothing?
How about this:
Their entire annual GDP is LESS THAN THE UK'S BUDGET TO BUILD A SINGLE 100 MILES OF TRAIN TRACK.
The track won't be complete until, at BEST, 2039, something that has already been in construction for 5 years.
It's supposed to be a high speed rail, called HS2, with an estimated speed now REDUCED to what can kindly be called not very fast. About 200mph.
Its original budget was 30 billion. It is now 102 billion.
For a shorter line.
Originally it was going to go from Central London, Birmingham, Manchester and branch off to various places.
Now it's going to Birmingham and that's basically it.
Imagine how long it will take to get that money back.
Britain is a joke.
Corruption of the highest order? Probably.
So frickin' annoying. Spain built its entire high speed network for less.
Replies (6)
The National Children’s Hospital has been under construction in Ireland since 2013.
Eighteen missed completion dates later, including the latest on 30 April, the project still has 106,500 defects outstanding and no definite finish line.
Meanwhile, the cost has exploded from €800 million to €2.24 billion.
If Britain is a joke, Ireland is a bigger one.
I dunno man, I think this we've got you beat. Overall for HS2:
The cost:
• 2011: £32.7bn
• 2013: £45bn
• 2015: £55.7bn
• 2019: up to £88bn
• 2020: up to £106bn
• 2026: up to £102.7bn… for a fraction of the original route
What’s been cut along the way:
• 2021: Eastern leg to Leeds: SCRAPPED
• 2022: Golborne link to Scotland: SCRAPPED
• 2023: Birmingham → Manchester leg: SCRAPPED
• 2023: Crewe hub: SCRAPPED
• Euston terminus: paused, downsized from 10 platforms to 6, now needs private finance
Original plan: 11 cities, 340 miles, £32bn, open 2026.
What we’re getting: 4 stations, 140 miles, £100bn+, open 2039.
And then there's an underground tunnel that cost almost 200 million before being cancelled - not a single grain of soil was moved.
1.2 billion has already been spent on an underground tunnel in London just for... consultation? They're nowhere near even starting yet.
If people think our countries aren't corrupt they are deluded
Germany:
A single trainstation in Stuttgart is now @ 11.4bn €.
Started out at 4bn.
It still is a work in progress. Was supposed to finish in 2019.
btw: They already had a trainstation
There were some protests against it and the police shot a pensioneer in the face with a water cannon and he lost his eyesight over it.
Jeeeeze. I work with a German and from many talks with him it seems we're basically the same country these days in all the bad ways. You confirm it all the more (nobody's eye has been shot yet though)
Crikey! Ok. I think you have us beaten alright. And I don't think there's anyone left who doesn't think our countries are corrupt, is there? We need to crowdfund a guillotine or four.
Lol. Not from the government please. Each one will end up going 6x over budget and delayed conveniently until the next election.