London Banter - View Single Post - Tories 20BN railway to replace Heathrow expansion (St Pancras isHeathrow T6, again)

John Rowland · October 12th 08, 01:28 AM posted to uk.railway,uk.transport.london

wrote:
Interesting article in Rail Management (September 22nd) which suggests
that a new 225km/h (140mph) conventional railway built to Continental
Loading Gauge may be a more cost effective option than a new high
speed line:

"Britain is smaller than France or Spain, and thus the gains to be
achieved from building LGVs
are proportionately less, particularly within England alone.

This is rubbish. Britain is much smaller in area but is slightly longer from
end to end, which is what matters for discussing viability of rail lines. It
also has its capital at one end, unlike Spain. No French journey from Paris
or Spanish journey from Madrid is as long as London to Aberdeen. The fact
that Britain has the same population as France in a narrow sliver of
France's area improves the viability of high speed rail.

http://viking.eukhost.com/~keepingt/...M164/index.htm