• dave@feddit.uk
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    9 months ago

    Those guys are amateurs. Try being the Uk government—compulsorily purchase private land for new rail line, hand lucrative contracts to your mates to clear mature oaks (which they get to keep, worth £5k each), accidentally clear more than is needed, then cancel the rail line.

    • Blackmist@feddit.uk
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      9 months ago

      I doubt I’ve ever seen a farce as big as the east leg of HS2.

      It’s linking London and Leeds. No, it’s linking London and a tram stop 10 miles outside Nottingham. No, it’s linking London to the ruins of the last coal power station in Britain, and a bus stop to East Midlands Airport for some reason, even though London has like 4 fucking airports anyway and they all go to the same shithole cheap Euro dumps that EMA flies to. Ah you know what fuck it, you’re not getting HS2 at all.

      • VirtualOdour
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        9 months ago

        One of the worst bits is a lot of the delays and budget problems came because of eco protectors like Swampy blocking construction. So frustrating such an important project to get heavy goods off the roads are attacked by people who should support it - now it could be decades before the British public will trust another major rail infrastructure project.

        • lad@programming.dev
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          9 months ago

          So, blame eco protectors for the govt inability to prepare and finish a project while conveying its importance to the public?

          • VirtualOdour
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            9 months ago

            I’m not blaming swampy for all the problems but if you actually look at the events that unfolded it was a significant part of the issues, people have been very clear about the importance of it and all the documents were there for anyone to view - I’m just saying that the fact eco protesters targeted it is a serious failing of the eco protesters and once again attention hungry idiots doing harm to the thing they pretend to care about.

            Why should anyone take us seriously when we try and argue for eco things if we’re attacking the very things we need?

      • dave@feddit.uk
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        9 months ago

        Well, I used a bit of poetic licence but there’s a case near me in the midlands in which the land owner has been forced to go to the high court (at his own expense) to get any chance of compensation. The tactics being used by hs2 and the Secretary of State are to frighten people into non-action. That is the leg of hs2 that is still (currently) going ahead.

        But I’d eat my manky dog-walking hat if it’s the only example in the country.

    • mindbleach
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      9 months ago

      Half of that is just right-wing governments shitting all over any effort to build infrastructure or make life better for people. Can’t have people liking any aspect of competing politicians.