HS2 and the Truth

[threegee]

Haven't we had to stomach enough political projects parcelled up as commercially viable when they're clearly not?  HS2 is following the well worn path of government promoted schemes which never deliver, and end up being an expensive national embarrassment.

Quote

Trains on Britain’s HS2 rail scheme are at risk of derailment and catastrophic track failure, according to previously secret research commissioned by HS2 itself.

Engineering changes will be needed to make the project safe, the study says. The alterations will raise costs, increase journey times, or both, and will “collapse” the scheme’s already shaky business case, according to opponents.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Time to cancel it before it becomes a huge burden to the taxpayer.  If we are to do it with taxpayers money then we should be honest and recognise that it is a political project, start construction from an ill-served area of the country, or perhaps as a high speed connection between our two capital cities. Joining Edinburgh and Newcastle as an initial stage would be far less costly, and all the technical problems would be discovered before they become really burdensome and disruptive. Grand gesture politics should start with low-risk grand gestures, and not with deceptions.