Comments by "Dave Cooper" (@davecooper3238) on "DownieLive" channel.

HSR is common all over Europe. More lines going in. Why can’t the US do it to the same extent. Plus what about all the HSR in China. ?
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@MacAdvisor I have a distinct impression you may not have been here. Or have a wife who worked in the engineering dept of a national railway. I suggest a couple of months driving round Europe so you can see for yourself. A high speed line from Milan to Rome will in some ways be parallel but not on the same right of way. The old lines call at town stations now catering for local traffic. The new lines are mainly direct city to city. In part freeing up the old lines to carry more freight. This claim of yours that you can only use historic rights of way in Europe is tommy rot.
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A lot of cash was spent on the Space Race. Does anyone think it would be a good idea to enter a HSR race with the Chinese ? Have they so much of a head start that it’s not worth bothering.
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@MacAdvisor Can’t get new right of way in Europe ? Try looking at HS1 & HS2 in the U.K. HS1 built as a totally new line from London to the Channel Tunnel. Three new lines from The Tunnel across France one into Belgium. HS2 is in the process of being built along a completely new alignment from London to Birmingham with trains due to run at 200mph. Europe is promoting totally new HSR lines. The idea that HSR city centre to City centre is faster than. Flying airport to airport & the needing to make it to the centre. HS2 will be largely under ground as it leaves London. If you doubt my word look for HS2 YouTube videos. Plenty there showing the line under construction. If Europe can do it why not the US. China has thousands of miles of high speed rail. No good the US even trying to catch up with them.
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@MacAdvisor Sorry, you appear misinformed about Europe rail. The European high speed lines are predominantly rights of way that are not historic. HS2 is a prime example of this. Take a look at HS2 YouTube videos & you can’t miss that it’s totally new except for a short stretch on a redundant alignment as it heads into Birmingham. New lines are the norm in Europe. They need to be because it’s very difficult to run 150/200 mph trains on the existing twisting & often hilly track alignments. If old dying European countries can build international High Speed Lines lines it’s disappointing the USA can’t.
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@MacAdvisor You told me we could not do HSR on totally new alinements in Europe. That is just not true. If you look at YouTube videos of the U.K’s HS2 you can’t miss the fact. Yes in the London end it starts at an expanded Euston Station with its connections to the London Underground & major bus routes. It leaves Euston via new tunnels. Next stop is Birmingham Interchange. For Birmingham International Airport and National Exhibition Centre. The line then turns toward Birmingham city centre. It joins an old alignment terminating at Cuzon Street Station. Cuzon Street was the terminal for the original London line. Birmingham ended up with three stations with direct links to London. The other two lines won out & Cuzon Street closed in 1966. The still standing old entrance hall is a grade 1 listed building & we be incorporated into the new station. Birmingham will once again have three rail links to London. We in Europe get racked off with US citizens telling us we are an old and dying continent. When it comes to new rail the US is the one apparently stuck in the past not us. Anyway I wish you luck. Take care.
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@MacAdvisor We do not normally piggy back on existing track beds. I suggest you come over to Europe and look for yourself. Have you actually looked at any of the U.K.s HS2 videos. Are you just making things up. Or possibly in an oblique way calling me a liar ? The two existing London Birmingham lines run. 1/ From Euston to the to the east of the Chiltern Hills and north through Rugby etc to Birmingham New Street. 2/ From Marylebone Station west to Reading again by passing the Chiltern. Then in a northerly direction through Oxford etc to Wood Street Birmingham. HS2 is being built from Euston straight through the Chiltern Hills in a northerly direction mission bypassing towns heading to the Birmingham Interchange. On a separate route to the existing lines. Only crossing them on the approach to Birmingham to the rebuilt Cuzon Street Station. By the way. Was there an existing right of way for the freight line that now runs across Asia from China’s main manufacturing zone into Germany. How about China’s around 25,000 miles of high speed. Did all of that have existing right of way. Possibly not because they are putting stretches of their lines on viaducts over clear ground to save on land purchase costs. If the right of way existed why the need for the viaducts.
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@MacAdvisor Sounds like you may not have come across Compulsory Purchase. Government decides were a new line is going. The land is purchased either by people/companies taking the money to go away or the land needed being Compulsory Purchased. Not sure the British are as happy with their rail as you are.
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@MacAdvisor I omitted to pick up on your comment about riding on the U.K. high speed LINES. The U.K. only has one. It’s called HS1. HS2 is being constructed.
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@MacAdvisor The need to displace people is taken into account during the planning of high speed rail the same as it is for major new roads & other infrastructure. Some people will be unhappy. But you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.
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@MacAdvisor I believe you are mistaken. If you are thinking citation needed Try :- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Speed_1
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@MacAdvisor The first section only had a line speed of 225kph. Hardly High Speed. High speed starts at 300kph. 225kph is less than 149mph. A good 600cc sports motorcycle is faster than that.
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