Well, the #IntegratedRailPlan (a.k.a. #RailBetrayal) has landed. And immediately we can see that their plans are just a re-announcement of things that have already been planned (or indeed cancelled): 
Actually, the proposals precisely mimic the NIC's Rail Needs Assessment from last year, despite government decrying it loudly after its publication.
If you want to understand why those plans were bad, I wrote about it in reasonable detail: #RailBetrayal
garethdennis.medium.com/the-nic-have-f…
If you want to understand why those plans were bad, I wrote about it in reasonable detail: #RailBetrayal
garethdennis.medium.com/the-nic-have-f…
Good god. You know what? It isn't possible for me to thread this document as I'd planned to as it is genuine top-to-bottom bullshit. #RailBetrayal
This paragraph, for example, is completely untrue. How on earth did the HS2 plans prevent electrification? This is fiction!
This paragraph, for example, is completely untrue. How on earth did the HS2 plans prevent electrification? This is fiction!
Honestly, line by line this whole document reads like my Twitter feed for the last few years.
HS2 and the new trans-Pennine high speed lines main benefits? Mentioned only once in the whole document. This only emphasises that it has been pulled together by people who simply do not understand railways, and have absolutely no ambition for Britain's future. #RailBetrayal
More of today's #RailBetrayal ramblings here, by the way:
https://twitter.com/GarethDennis/status/1461223927351582720
In relation to the proposed on-network upgrades somehow magically achieving everything that HS2 did, this piece might be relevant:
newcivilengineer.com/latest/scrappi…
newcivilengineer.com/latest/scrappi…
Jon is on the money, as ever - he is paid to analyse this stuff so has a bit more energy for it... I do all of this in my own time and am just tired. We'll all pick through in detail on next week's #RailNatter...
https://twitter.com/joncstone/status/1461313451884744706
I'm going to be up on @BBCWorldatOne from 13:05... Let's see if I can keep my cool and explain all this #RailBetrayal stuff in clear terms!
Now, why might this whole document read like a tirade from the blog pages of the IEA or TPA or STOPHS2 websites? Because it was penned in its entirety by long-time opposer of HS2 Andrew Gilligan. He's finally got his way. What a dismal outcome for Britain's railways #RailBetrayal
The government keep crowing that this is the biggest investment in Britain's railways ever or some nonsense - I'd argue the opposite is true.
I didn't think it would be possible to have a greater negative impact on Britain's local rail services than Beeching did but they have.
I didn't think it would be possible to have a greater negative impact on Britain's local rail services than Beeching did but they have.
I might well have said this, yes. #RailBetrayal
https://twitter.com/singharj/status/1461333478486810625
I was as polite as I could be...
https://twitter.com/singharj/status/1461334640552300544
Let me also drop this here, which might be useful on top of my various TV and radio news stuff today:
https://twitter.com/GarethDennis/status/1214275177099546629
As I've pointed out countless times, the business case for HS2 was always deeply flawed as it entirely omits the lines biggest benefits - i.e. the released capacity on other lines. It is best disregarded.
https://twitter.com/faisalislam/status/1461334556179673096?s=20
I'm tired and haven't kept up with this thread, but starting with 0600 on @bbc5live, then 17 (I think) local radio pop-ups, plus @LBCNews and @BBCWorldatOne under my belt and now two TV bits on @BBCLookNorth (1830 in studio) and @BBCNews (2000) you'll 🤞 forgive me! #RailBetrayal
I'm an engineer, not a press or comms guy. I've not got a PA. I've taken today off work and will have to be in the office over the weekend to make up for it. But it's worth it. This is an incredibly important moment. Government must be held to account for its #RailBetrayal.
Oh, and this BBC map is wrong. It should show the Trans-Pennine line dotted as that's mostly cancelled, and it should be clearer about the cancellation of the Toton Interchange, which is calamitous for the East Midlands. #RailBetrayal
Hello to this guy and all of the people who've been chucking abuse at me all day, keep tapping my dudes as nobody's listening to you 🖖
https://twitter.com/AngloScot2/status/1461409776290701313
So that was @BBCLookNorth...
...and this was me @taskmaster-ing myself a phone stand for my appearance just now on @BBCNews - sorry @BBCLeeds, I'll put your trophies back now!
How would I summarise today's proposals? Government's Integrated Rail Plan isn't integrated, it's incoherent, and it's most certainly a #RailBetrayal of the whole country.
They also just lost the strongest supporter of their overall rail policy. The gloves really are off now 🥊
They also just lost the strongest supporter of their overall rail policy. The gloves really are off now 🥊
Today's attempt to make all these points for the umpteenth time: #RailBetrayal
https://twitter.com/GarethDennis/status/1461687345078575104?t=hCE5YR77WDwuDuylxg_5Hg&s=19
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