HS2 and "Leveling-Up"

[Mick F]

I'd send parliament to the moon, together with all the politicians.

I would like this country run by real people, not career politicians.

[[XAP]Bob]

Next 2 trains from London to Manchester traits 2h12mm and 2h6m. Mostly it averages out at 2h34m. That's 163 miles

With waiting time at airports you're probably better taking the train.

Depends how often you do the trip - I commuted to Dublin for one/two days a week a while back.
I got it down to the point where I left home, walked onto the train, walked across the airport and straight onto the plane.
And that was international travel (albeit within the Schengen area).

I've taken flights in the US which are domestic (travelling to work with a connection, so immigration is at first landing, then a domestic flight onward), and they're really weird, because you just walk off the plane and are on the main concourse - no immigration checks etc - the same likely applies to internal UK flights.

[[XAP]Bob]

I'd send parliament to the moon, together with all the politicians.

I would like this country run by real people, not career politicians.

Anyone who wishes to become prime minister should, by virtue of that desire, immediately be disqualified from said position.

[Mick F]

Yep.
Plus one from me.

[Sweep]

Dales Rail axed.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/n ... ed-summer/

levelling up my buttock.

[Sweep]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65346831

Lots of other stuff available on the truly appalling and cynical record of Transpennine on cancellations.

It has been said by some passengers (who suprising to some maybe do travel outside the north) that this situation would never have been allowed to continue in the south.

If they keep their franchise, then it's two fingers to the north from westminster/Downing Street.

Has long been so, even under some labour admins.

Meanwhile a quote from the current minister for levelling up.

"We are at last experiencing a new empire, an empire where the happy south stamps over the cruel, dirty, toothless face of the northerner. At last Mrs Thatcher is saying I don't give a fig for what half the population is saying, because the richer half will keep me in powr. This may be amoral. This may be immoral. But it's politics and it's pragmatism."
Michael Gove, speech cambridge union, 1987

[reohn2]

Gove,spoke as a true blue Tory would,totally amoral and immoral,nowt much changes!

[mjr]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65346831

Lots of other stuff available on the truly appalling and cynical record of Transpennine on cancellations.

It has been said by some passengers (who suprising to some maybe do travel outside the north) that this situation would never have been allowed to continue in the south. [...]

The various long-running farces like Southern rather suggests otherwise. It seems that the Treasury and DfT are happy to run rail back into the deep doo-doo, as long as they don't have to spend more money before the election. It's almost as if they expect trying to meet the various 2030-2050 energy and climate targets to be somebody else's problem.

[mjr]

Not serious but I do think moving parliament away from the financial powerhouse up to the north where there's an infrastructure imbalance might be worth the cost, especially with the cost to make Westminster fit for purpose and structurally sound. Let the current parliament building collapse after a new, modern and forward looking one is built nearer the centre of the country. Political and economic power should be separated.

Even if we're not going to let it collapse, it would be easier to repair the current Houses of Parliament (HoP) without anyone in them. So send Parliament to some more central city for a few years (there must be venues with two 700ish capacity chambers, although they may be more Holyrood or Senedd-style in layout and less adversarial than the current ones) and then decide whether it's worth doing a full repair on the HoP or just the minimum to keep them standing as a museum or tourist attraction.

[Sweep]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65346831

Lots of other stuff available on the truly appalling and cynical record of Transpennine on cancellations.

It has been said by some passengers (who suprising to some maybe do travel outside the north) that this situation would never have been allowed to continue in the south. [...]

The various long-running farces like Southern rather suggests otherwise.

Not sure why you are denying the north/south issue - the subject of the thread - see my tagline - am in London - southern is my local train company - the issues there have been in the past with southern are as nowt compared to the mess at Transpennine and before that for ages with northern. On everything from services to rolling stock to basic infrastructure.
Several times I have sat on a southern train, oftentimes rolling into the megabucks palace that is the new London Bridge, musing on how many in the north would die for such a service.

[mjr]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65346831

Lots of other stuff available on the truly appalling and cynical record of Transpennine on cancellations.

It has been said by some passengers (who suprising to some maybe do travel outside the north) that this situation would never have been allowed to continue in the south. [...]

The various long-running farces like Southern rather suggests otherwise.

Not sure why you are denying the north/south issue - the subject of the thread - see my tagline - am in London - [...]

Your tagline just says "Sweep" on my screen. Not sure what that has to do with anything.

I'm not denying that the north has several train operators in crisis at the moment (not only TPE but also lesser issues at Avanti, LNER, northern and Grand Central) or that most of the nationally-funded "top" stations like London Bridge are in the south, but I think this government would let any southern operator twist in the wind too at the moment and it's mainly dumb luck that they aren't as bad right now.

[Jdsk]

Work on the Euston Tunnel "paused":
https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/civi ... 7-04-2023/

Jonathan

[Sweep]

The various long-running farces like Southern rather suggests otherwise.

Not sure why you are denying the north/south issue - the subject of the thread - see my tagline - am in London - [...]

Your tagline just says "Sweep" on my screen. Not sure what that has to do with anything.

I'm not denying that the north has several train operators in crisis at the moment (not only TPE but also lesser issues at Avanti, LNER, northern and Grand Central) or that most of the nationally-funded "top" stations like London Bridge are in the south, but I think this government would let any southern operator twist in the wind too at the moment and it's mainly dumb luck that they aren't as bad right now.

I meant the side panel under avatar name - shows me as in london.
Hence I know the vast differences in northern and southern transport provision.
And that there's a ton of levelling up to do - not that the changes are at all likely to come from an outfit spouting such back-of-an-envelope slogans.

[mjr]

I meant the side panel under avatar name - shows me as in london.

I see no side panel on here.

[Sweep]

I meant the side panel under avatar name - shows me as in london.

I see no side panel on here.

maybe different clever browser.
under avatar mine shows basic info on poster - post count, plus any location they have entered.
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