HS2 Operations - Speculation welcomed

[Sorcerer]

You are also discounting the possibility that, should we rejoin the EU, we carve out an exception for GBR and don't have to obey the same regulations.

I think it's doubtful this will happen to be honest. The EU won't be wanting the same "one foot in, one foot out" approach although they may be willing to allow for a continued opt-out of the Euro and Schengen. I think given that railways in many EU countries are still largely state-operated that we probably will see GBR remain the initial and likely dominant HS2 operator. Assuming it was built to the original Y-Shape network there probably wouldn't even be much room for competition anyway since nearly all the paths would've been occupied.

 

[HSTEd]

You are also discounting the possibility that, should we rejoin the EU, we carve out an exception for GBR and don't have to obey the same regulations.

Such an opt out would be very politically expensive for an EU that is currently presiding over the breaking up of state railways across the continent.

 

[Bletchleyite]

You are also discounting the possibility that, should we rejoin the EU, we carve out an exception for GBR and don't have to obey the same regulations.

There is certainly an argument to go that way, as given that our railway is a bit disconnected from those of the rest of Europe there isn't the practical need for through running and the likes. We would presumably need to accept something reciprocal for that, e.g. that UK companies may not bid for European rail contracts, but again I don't think that's disastrous. We could probably sensibly agree that the bit of the railway that does overlap with theirs, HS1, could come under EU rules as it is more like the European railway extending into the UK than the other way round.