> I'd put less blame on London and more on secondary cities
> HS2 is cut short because of money that people outside of London demand be spent on making it so expensive on a per-mile basis.
I'm not sure that's accurate. Cost overruns have also come from inability to find efficiencies, high inflation in the construction sector, low contingency estimate (half cross rails) and a misunderstanding of ground conditions.
The expense increases due to consultation / public demand have come from demands made on the route between London and Birmingham. For example the Chiltern tunnel extension. There aren't many cities in that gap, and most of that area is London facing rather than Birmingham or north facing.
HS2 between London and Birmingham has the worse cost:benefit ratio of the whole initial plan, and yet it's the only bit being built.
> expense increases due to consultation / public demand have come from demands made on the route between London and Birmingham.
I'm pointing out the problems in the whole country outside London, not just the north. So this includes the demand for 100km of unnecessary tunnels. Tunnels that the create higher risk and uncertainty.
> HS2 is cut short because of money that people outside of London demand be spent on making it so expensive on a per-mile basis.
I'm not sure that's accurate. Cost overruns have also come from inability to find efficiencies, high inflation in the construction sector, low contingency estimate (half cross rails) and a misunderstanding of ground conditions.
The expense increases due to consultation / public demand have come from demands made on the route between London and Birmingham. For example the Chiltern tunnel extension. There aren't many cities in that gap, and most of that area is London facing rather than Birmingham or north facing.
HS2 between London and Birmingham has the worse cost:benefit ratio of the whole initial plan, and yet it's the only bit being built.