The latest issue of the excellent fortnightly "Rail" announces that the planned budget of £1 billion for the electrification of the main line from London to Bristol ,Cardiff and Swansea is already looking like being exceeded.
The culprits? Disagreements with councils over road closures and the old familiar suspects newts, bats and now dormice. The newts and bats are fresh from having delayed the reopening of the second bore of the short Wolvercote tunnel, essential for the new link between Oxford and Marylebone, by the best part of two years.These species seem to crop up remarkably frequently in debates about,- that means opposition to,- HS2 and other road and rail projects large and small. One has to wonder if they are that rare and endangered after all. They certainly seem to be much less so than is the notion of building to meet the transport and travel needs of the 21st century and future generations.
The culprits? Disagreements with councils over road closures and the old familiar suspects newts, bats and now dormice. The newts and bats are fresh from having delayed the reopening of the second bore of the short Wolvercote tunnel, essential for the new link between Oxford and Marylebone, by the best part of two years.These species seem to crop up remarkably frequently in debates about,- that means opposition to,- HS2 and other road and rail projects large and small. One has to wonder if they are that rare and endangered after all. They certainly seem to be much less so than is the notion of building to meet the transport and travel needs of the 21st century and future generations.
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