Long tunnels | 31 comments (31 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

sounds good, all we need is a compelling reason to do it.

I'd wager it'd be far better value for money than a trident replacement

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Wed Jun 15th, 2016 at 02:24:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I think there are two related factors which could make this feasible:

If Brexit doesn't happen and the EU takes a strategic view that anything like a UK Ireland tunnel which will increase economic integration would be a good thing.
If low cost finance is made available via the EIB or whatever. A project like this is probably only feasible if the interest rate on finance is close to the rate of inflation - i.e. near zero real interest costs.

Presumably there are long term energy and climate change savings associated with a tunnel compared to air and sea transport which could be used to justify the preferential interest rate regime.

My only other concern would be the risk of bottlenecks in the London area if you are trying to route passengers and freight from Ireland to continental Europe.

Index of Frank's Diaries

by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Wed Jun 15th, 2016 at 07:06:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Irish permeability (none / 0)

No, freight doesn't belong on high speed lines anyway, so it'd be routed around south of london on the existing freight routes from Ashford across to Reading.

Passengers would change at St Pancras for a new line through to Ireland. A big problem is that the best route is heavily opposed by nimbys in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

The big problem in the UK is that the current plan for HS2 is just stupid and diverts attention from the more logical E Midlands route along the old Gt Central. This affords many options for branching off to the west.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Mon Jun 20th, 2016 at 09:21:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Irish permeability (none / 0)

Are there freight lines permitting UIC loading gauge wagons around London? If not, do you think there is a line where clearance can be increased at little cost? (UIC loading gauge freight currently gets to London via HS1.)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Tue Jun 21st, 2016 at 09:11:21 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Irish permeability (none / 0)

I don't think so, although most of the old Great Western (ex-broad gauge) would probably be upgraded quite easily.

But the advantage of using the Great Central is that, even tho it was shut by Beeching, large amounts of the basic infrastructure is still in place and it was built close to UIC standard.

however, the section south of London is mostly under-used and so renovation work wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Jun 21st, 2016 at 12:33:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Long tunnels | 31 comments (31 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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