HS2 will common sense prevail?

[DavieC]

If it does get cancelled you have to feel sorry for David Cameron...he wanted his time in charge to be remembered by something big.!

 

[GotOneBrewin]

We had to go down to York for a day last week, thought we would let the train take the strain until we learnt it would be £280 return for the two of us (standard class)
300 mile round trip to drive, 50 mpg = £36

I don't like driving but for £40 an hour it wasn't that bad - £240 is a lot of hard cash ....

The two of us had to get from Kent to Wembley for 9am appointment recently so had to use HS1, £120

 

[Rodcx500z]

I would say if the real cost of these projects was stated at the beginning nothing would roll or get built

 

[foxbat]

All public contracts should be fixed price. Just like they did with the new Wembley stadium.

 

[terrym]

All public contracts should be fixed price. Just like they did with the new Wembley stadium.

You might be right. However the final cost of any project also relies on the customer, in this case the state, properly specifying what they want in the first place so that it works, and having the discipline to minimise change after the contract is let.

 

[Nicks90]

Well that's the rub
Just look at the NHS IT contract. We had payment milestones after 6 - 12 and 24 months but didn't get any. As they said we hadn't delivered. However they ignore the fact they made 124 contract delivery changes in that first 12 months alone!
They paid up after we sued their arses
Government are the epitome of stoooopid.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Just announced HS2 could end up £22 billion over budget

 

[DavidHatton]

Can't remember last anything came in on budget, I wish they would scrap it.

 

[Hopperty]

Can't remember last anything came in on budget, I wish they would scrap it.

queensferry crossing - priced at 2 billion, came in at 1.35bn
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-45041862

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Can't remember last anything came in on budget, I wish they would scrap it.

I have a feeling our wish will come true. :thumba:

 

[johncrobinson]

HS2 the ONLY thing high speed about is the Bank Transfers.

 

[BeerCat]

Frankly, it's either historical rank stupidity in the political classes(not an unreasonable claim actually), or it's criminal. I'm going for the second choice myself. So much money flows around these contracts that I suspect backhanders and bribes are dished out all over the place as public money is seen as a gravy train if you're in the right place.
My own council of Croydon is approving the sales of loads of bits of land it owns for pittances, to a council approved building firm to build housing. But it's a husband and wife team on both sides. The one on the council approves the cheap sales, the other one is director of the company that gets the land. It's bonkers!
Apply this sort of stuff to HS2 and it's tens of billions of pounds and the scale of the gravy train(ouch pun) is just that much larger.

I think your spot on. No wonder all our politicians screw us over when corruption like this is rewarded and encouraged. It is truly sickening.

 

[johncrobinson]

I too know the problems of clients moving goalposts,But in general i dont think thats all thats been going on in recent decades.
For people like myself who are or have been in buisiness, "You can smell it".