The HS2 (High Speed Train 2) project has been labelled ‘a complete failure by the British state and its politicians’ and an ‘appalling mess’, fuelled by political puff and short-termism – the project has become a farce.’
Peter Mandelson’s insider confession about how Gordon Brown and his cabinet came to approve HS2 in 2010 in the aftermath of the post-banking crash era makes depressing reading portraying it as an attempt not to be outdone by the Tories in their enthusiasm for a shiny new big project. The cost estimates were “almost entirely speculative”, wrote Mandelson, but “the vision was exciting” and “we were focusing on the coming electoral battle”.
Later Tory leaders, especially Boris Johnson, did no better as he pushed the button to proceed in 2020, knowing HS2 only made sense if built in full. After 18 months the Leeds and then Manchester sections were cancelled.
A recent review found that interfering politicians doomed HS2 from the start with no plans hammered out before proceeding and costs spiralling to an estimated £1bn for every mile of the high-speed railway. The business model evidently meant contractors had little to no incentive to hit cost targets and ran rings around the arm’s-length body, HS2 Ltd.
Taking a step back to HS1, the 109.9-kilometre (68.3-mile) high-speed railway linking London with the Channel Tunnel, came about after similar high speed rail links had been built in France and Belgium. The Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 18 December 1996 set it in motion and after a few problems the second section was opened by 2007.
The 1996 chart has a stalwart Saturn in Aries conjunct South Node trine Pluto Venus sextile Uranus; with a Sagittarius Sun square Mars and Mars trine Jupiter Neptune. The Sun square Saturn on the North/South Node opposition may be significant.
HS2 Ltd, the incorporated company set up by the government, state funded, on 14 January 2009 had a Capricorn Sun and Mars trine Saturn in Virgo; with Saturn opposition Uranus.
The two subsequent charts of 10 January 2012 and 23 February 2017 also had a heavy concentration of Cardinal planets which would take the brunt of the transiting Pluto in Capricorn (and tr Uranus in Aries) throughout the decade plus since its inception. The charts are not especially ill-starred but they would have been pounded by tr Pluto in Capricorn, causing delays, possibly financial corruption, political failure and the like.
So it may be regarded as an epic failure both financial and political which can be laid at the foot of the Pluto in Capricorn years.
Now that Pluto has moved on into Aquarius, an attempt is being made to get a grip of the fiasco. Some faint hope may come on the HS2 Ltd 2009 chart with tr Pluto conjunct the Jupiter from last year (when the present damning review was put into gear) and the Solar Arc Mars conjunct the Jupiter in 18 months time – both of which could hold hope of a reboot – of sorts.
‘A money laundering,insider cash-grab of our public funds.’
nailed it Antonia. Like so many of these wondrous projects…
Absolutely. I’m just waiting for the reaction to the upcoming land grab by rapacious property developers under the guise of government plans to solve the housing crisis. When it comes down to it we’re all nimbies, especially against construction without infrastructure.
I wonder whether the Saturn/Neptune conjunction in Aries will be around to point out the folly of ignoring infracstructure needs? You could say Saturn and Neptune together symbolise architecture – the inspiration plus the structure, or the nuts and bolts of music meeting inspiration. One vital thing is water and sewage provisions, which are in doubt at some development locations. Neptune cancelled out by Saturn? Possibly the Saturn/Neptune sextile Uranus and Pluto in trine will bring solutions and common sense.
Thanks Marjorie. Interesting what you say about Pluto in Capricorn, and hopes for Pluto in Aquarius for this ridiculous fiasco. Since, yet again, both Labour and the Tories are involved in the ongoing chaos, I looked at the House of Commons chart, 1265 (Book of World Horoscopes). HS2 2009’s hopeful Jupiter in Aquarius is square the HoC Jupiter at 2 Taurus, with both Mercurys at 6 Aquarius. The HS2 Nodes at 9 Aquarius/Leo connect with the House of Commons Neptune at 9 Leo, opposition Sun 8 Aquarius and ‘travel for all’ Mercury in Aquarius. So perhaps Neptunian confusion was built in from the start? The Pluto transit looks set to shake that up. And the Nodes will enter Aquarius/Leo next summer too, possibly emphasising Aquarian and Leonine themes? Could be wider implications for government in general?
House of Commons Saturn 21 Taurus and Mars 23 Taurus squares the HS2 Neptune 22 Aquarius. More confusion between the politicians and HS2? Has anything been learned during the Uranus transit to these planets? It occurs to me that there are far too many career politicians, and too few with other kinds of life experience. Or willingness to listen to those who have.
This reminds me of the utter failure of high speed rail in California. My hoe is that Uranus in Gemini may, along with Pluto in Aquarius help these projects along.
It just hit me, with your Uranus in Gemini comment, that that might mean a new Concord (many ultrasonic aircraft are in development, I think) and a faster air travel. Some kind of air (Gemini) traffic (Gemini) breakthrough and revolution (Uranus).
I think air travel is associated more with the 9th house / Sag.
We have to wait and see. But you could Google about supersonic flights and aircraft which are now in experimental phase. I think one, Boom, announces flights from one coast of the US to the other to be feasible at around $5000, so – ouch, but let’s wait and see.
UK is hopeless at infrastructure because most of the structural engineers have left
A train to go at 300 kilometers per hour in order to travel 200 kilometers? What is the point? The tracks from Marylebone to Birmingham could have been reinstated for a lot less. Even with fancy upgrades for a 200 km/hour train there would have been about £80 billion left over for upgrades elsewhere.
This happens in Canada too.Reactive ,thoughtless projects-the public has no say in -that end up costing us millions/billions.
When it’s really a money laundering,insider cash-grab of our public funds.r
Spot on Will. There were plenty of reasons to build a new line to Birmingham to relieve congestion on the existing London to North West route. It could have all been achieved by leveraging the knowledge gained from HS1. One of the most laughable and tragic aspects of HS2 was that the man who delivered HS1 was not given the job to lead the building of the latter because he lacked the “qualifications and experience”. The result was that the project ended up with a ludicrously overspecified high speed rail solution which was totally unsuited to a country the size of England. Unsurprisingly the initial budget was rapidly exhausted leading to horrific future cost overruns. Despite massive descoping which included essentially abandoning the links to Leeds and Manchester the project is continuing to spiral out of control.