HS2 Construction Progress, Southam, January 24

[@wilgaboy]

Did we need funeral type music to accompany this film

[@theboy-uk]

I think Chopin got the mood just right :)

[@robodrone5662]

I love this construction. So calm and peaceful 😌

[@theboy-uk]

And slow!

[@robodrone5662]

@@theboy-uk When i watch I feel relaxed.

[@theboy-uk]

@@robodrone5662 But not as relaxed as the construction workers building this new railway!

[@robodrone5662]

@@theboy-uk I could have such a job! Some beers in the morning and dreaming about a new road.

[@theboy-uk]

@@robodrone5662 Join the queue, behind me!

[@ToddingtonTed]

Thanks for the update. Good to label the roads etc. Good weather too! The project is definitely progressing, but not fast enough for me!

[@theboy-uk]

Thanks for the comments. Yes, I managed to find 2 dry, bright days to do this January 2024 series, but oh boy was it cold! Even though I regularly see how its progress due to making these videos, I'm staggered by the lack of progress each time - I often compare the current video with the previous, looking for changes in that 6 months, and its usually little more than some bridge supports, or moving mounds of earth....

[@johndean4998]

Excellent filming & editing. Curious choice of music, though.

[@theboy-uk]

Thanks for the comments. We thought the music was very appropriate, LOL.

[@StevieProton]

Crikey - some people actually working for once.

[@theboy-uk]

Well, one or 2. Hardly a hive of activity!

[@MrMasterJones]

Good to see an update. I worked here a year ago and it really doesn’t look like they’ve progressed much unsurprisingly.

[@theboy-uk]

As with all sections I'm covering, progress is glacially slow. The cynic in me is suggesting they are trying to draw it out for as long as possible....

[@MrMasterJones]

@@theboy-uk Yep you’re probably right there

[@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg]

You would have to be in possession of the coverall master programme to realise why progress is slow. As you know HS2 consists of a number of different contracts, each required to be integrated together.

[@theboy-uk]

@@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg This section is all under one contractor. In fact, all of the sections I normally cover are under the same contractor. HS2 is glacially slow because its been massively mismanaged from the start, and I'm starting to believe that they know its going to be a huge flop (everyone else knew that in 2010 when the first viable proposal was published) that they are happy for everyone to milk it for as long as they can...

[@TrevorWilliams-fq8mg]

Yes all sections are under 1 Contractor (each section under a joint venture consortium of 3 sometimes 4 Contractors). But it would be counter productive to lay railtrack the complete length of 1 section if the adjacent sections are not ready to receive their rail track. I agree HS2 has been badly managed though by HS2 . Another reason why things don't seem to be moving is the issue of unforeseen problems arising. The Main Contract is a Partnership Contract where the Contractors are partners with HS2. There is a requirement to keep within the spirit of a partnership for the Contractors to issue early warning notices to HS2 if they become aware of an event that might arise which causes either a delay to the programme or impacts on cost. So far there have been 3,000 early warning notices issued. These can be contested by HS2 but if not a compensation event is granted to the Contractor which would result in additional cost and/or an extension to the programme duration time with all accompanying cost.

[@frasermitchell9183]

Original proposal for Long Itchington Wood was a retained cutting. HS2 were persuaded to put the line in a tunnel underneath, so one can see why the line is costing so much.

[@theboy-uk]

I have the original proposal, plus the original proposed plans for most of this section from the local roadshows from 2010. It's good many extra areas of natural beauty got tunnelled or their original tunnels extended, as per the Chilterns AONB. We need to learn we can't keep destroying our countryside, and let's face it, railway lines are an ugly scar across the countryside. HS2 will be even worse, due to the shear width of that scar due to the unnecessary amount of land taken. Cost wise, even HS2 admit, the changes to get it approved haven't made much difference, and poor estimations of build costs, shockingly bad estimations of compulsory purchase costs, poor management, and a general ineptness are what has caused spiralling costs. And remember, those cost overruns are only what the taxpayer is funding. There are other hidden costs that local businesses, farmers and communities are suffering due to the complete, utter incompetence of their execution.

[@JohnHoward-wc9kk]

I think you should wait and see how much land is actually 'consumed' by HS2. Certainly during actual construction it is a substantial area, but much of that will be returned to agriculture or valuable ecological use afterwards. I think all the 'balancing' ponds, tree planting etc will actually improve the diversity of the landscape. The new railway will use only a fraction of the land that a new motorway needs; I would guesstimate about a third.@@theboy-uk

[@theboy-uk]

@@JohnHoward-wc9kk As I understand it, none is being returned back to agricultural or any other use. Most of it is "being returned to nature", which I envisage is like the other wasteland the railway networks have, and will become brambles hiding rusting metalwork.. I'm also a bit concerned about these promised idyllic "nature reserves", as I'm fairly sure that wildlife and 200mph trains aren't that compatible with each other. Begs the very, very obvious question, why was so much land stolen in the first place?

[@SeanDavies-x7e]

Our country is green with

[@theboy-uk]

I agree that any building on green space should be avoided whenever possible. HS2 has had minimal negative publicity in the national media, unlike, say, the Newbury Bypass that interviewed Swampy and pals every day. HS2 Phase 1 never really had a purpose beyond that of a vanity project, given that there were already 2 existing lines between central London and central Birmingham.

[@ladyintheskyuk]

Excellent footage and update 👍

[@theboy-uk]

Thanks :). Not much of an update, however, compared to a similar video of the same area back in August!

[@willhemmings]

Great video, I like the music, ?Chopin. I can't see how the formation will clear the River Itchen after exiting the tunnel, can't be more than about a metre if that; and HS2 have messed with the ecology by removing a few innocent meanders. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THEM? Well I think this is one location that may well cause some serious problems for the project; and another is the cutting at Windmill Hill, Ladbroke, at the start of your video

[@theboy-uk]

I'm not convinced enough low level planning went into it, and such problems they make up as they go along, and certainly believe the line is more important than such trivial things like the local ecology 😠. Looking how waterlogged the entire route I cover is, from Newton Purcell to Southam, I think if this monstrosity ever opens, it will be beset with cancellations due to flooding - mad worse due to the mess they have made of the ecology along the route.

[@willhemmings]

I appreciate your reply sir@@theboy-uk

[@aerotro]

Playing the death march music lol

[@theboy-uk]

Oh Chopin was a genius when he composed that in the 19th century. It's like he knew HS2 was coming!

[@aerotro]

@@theboy-uk Thats funny it was used at funerals tehe

[@theboy-uk]

@@aerotro Indeed, it fits so well 🤣

[@scottpeacock5492]

Enjoy your countryside, won't belong before another High way plough through the fields with houses along the route.

[@theboy-uk]

Yeah, I would have thought that the food issues following the conflict in Ukraine - "Europe's Bread Basket" would have knocked some sense into government and local council planners to limit destruction of countryside. But the construction industry is used as a basis to measure economy, so it's OK to build anywhere. I recall the M40 being built, not a dissimilar route, and that caused so much less damage and destruction to the countryside. And has greater capacity. And greater convenience.

[@scottpeacock5492]

@@theboy-uk The Problem is we are a small country which has become over spilled with illegal immigration, i'm not having a go, i'm facing facts here, People on the Southern side of the country are suffering over crowded trains and fail rail infrustucture, Just look at the GWR Between Paddingdon and Reading, Crack tracks and over head wires being ripped by trains, We as a country are so soft, we should be looking after our own people and no matter where we build, there always will be a bunch of middle class nimbys complaining.

[@theboy-uk]

@@scottpeacock5492 You present some valid points. As for NIMBYs, to be honest, aside from the disruption during construction (they are making a massive mess of the roads and footpaths, and I'm already up to nearly £400 this year so far in tyre and wheel costs directly attributable to their mess) its not near enough to me to concern me from a NIMBY thing. As regular channel followers know, I'm very much in favour of EWR, even though I'd probably never get to use it. It should, when/if finished, provide a rail service where current options are unviable. HS2, which ironically I am one of the handful of people who can use it, as frequently travel from central Birmingham to central London for work, I think is a colossal waste of money and pointless destruction. Whatever people might try a tell you, there are absolutely no passenger capacity issues between London and Birmingham, except London bound morning peak. Crickey, Chiltern mainly run 2 or 3 car DMUs most of the day, and they are mostly empty! Added to that, virtually nobody travels the entire route between the cities, and instead get on and off at stations along the route. HS2 is a waste of taxpayers money, not just in construction, but in life, assuming common sense doesn't win out, and the project cancelled. Money that could be better spent on the problematic trans-transpennine routes and other East/West options. Most of GWR's recent issues have been down to poor maintenance by Network Rail, although I know that's a busy route. But Network Rail seem hell bent on this vanity project of HS2 instead... ...a line nobody wants and nobody can use.

[@neilrushworth5958]

Is the taxpayer still paying for this?

[@theboy-uk]

Yup, the taxpayer is footing 100% of the build costs, and 50-60% subsidy per fare when it opens *IF* it can carry 576,000 passengers a day, else the subsidies will have to grow proportionally.