I have not found a coherent explanation why HS2 does not link to HS1.
The unreasonable cost of rail tickets makes the current scheme a toy for rich people. Connecting the last few metres to HS1 at St Pancras would allow trains to compete with air travel to Europe. Taking an eco-guilt-free trip from northern England to Paris is something a normal person might do, even if the rail tickets cost 3x the flights. But not when you have book multiple tickets and drag your stuff between stations in London.
> I have not found a coherent explanation why HS2 does not link to HS1. The unreasonable cost of rail tickets makes the current scheme a toy for rich people.
The current scheme is designed to relieve capacity on the WCML to make way for more local services. I'm not sure that providing local public transport is a "toy for rich people".
> Connecting the last few metres to HS1 at St Pancras would allow trains to compete with air travel to Europe. Taking an eco-guilt-free trip from northern England to Paris is something a normal person might do
You can already get the the train from the north to Paris. You change at KGX/STP.
> even if the rail tickets cost 3x the flights. But not when you have book multiple tickets and drag your stuff between stations in London.
You can book a direct ticket, and dragging your stuff between two stations 50 yards apart is much easier than dragging to/from the airport.
I’m not entirely sure what your comment is implying but there is plenty of affluence and quite a few millionaires in the North. If you believe only poor people live in the north that’s also a belief that’s wildly out of touch.
