I don't think Kent was 'chosen'. Its more a case that that was where the CTRL was coming through and it makes sense to make best use of the line by also having domestic trains on it.
And this is exactly the reason why I can't see why they were allowed to charge more money.
If the WCML or ECML was ever updated to run trains at 140-186mph then would everyone suddenly agree to paying up to 35% more?
I am almost certainly going to pay the money to try this train out - no doubt many others will - but this isn't a train for holiday makers, it's a commuter service and commuters are already paying through the nose.
Some people will find a reduction of their existing services, which isn't fair because their seasons are clearly marked 'NOT HS1' - and a colleague at work has been paying the higher price on his monthly seasons all year to pay for the introduction of a service he's not allowed to use!
And if the CTRL was already built, why the need to charge a premium to have access to it? Surely more paths/services helps pay for the original link and keeps the cost down.. economies of scale and all that.
No, it seems that because the train is faster (and 140mph isn't
THAT fast - I've been on a Mk4/Mallard that has managed to get up to 140mph, GPS verified, on some stretches of the ECML) we're setting a precedent that you can charge more. God help us when other lines get upgraded or we get new rolling stock - that'll be another load of money please!
From someone who admires engineering, I do like the look of the train itself very much - but I fear for the future of high speed rail. What happens if we get trains doing 200mph or more. Double the fares? Triple?
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Adonis stressed in a couple of interviews that the success or failure of this service will be a litmus test for any other HSLs in the UK.
I don't think it will fail. Brand new track allowing high speed travel, plus better signalling allowing for more efficient use of the track, ensures that it proves the need for more high speed rail - but I really do fear for the situation where we'll be hit so hard in the pocket.
If it was an Intercity route, I'd understand a premium, but this is sold as a commuter service - in many cases replacing existing services on the old/existing route.
I wonder if we'll see TOCs investigating whether they can charge more to get somewhere on a fast train, as against a semi-fast, or trains that use fast lines instead of slow.
One thing; have all the trains been delivered on time and passed all the necessary testing? It strikes me that it has really shown up Bombardier, which is a company that seems totally unable to get anything right at the moment.
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0mins, that's quite a feat on a domestic trains. Let's hope it is a success!
