‘White elephant’ or ‘ vital legacy’? – the HS2 divides opinion
The Government’s decision to go ahead with the first phase of the controversial £32bn High Speed 2 (HS2) rail link have been met with mixed reactions and differing concerns.
Journey times between Manchester, Birmingham and London would be significantly slashed in what Transport Secretary Justine Greening has dubbed ‘the most significant transport infrastructure project since the building of the motorways’.
Construction of the 140 mile link linking London to the West Midlands could be completed by 2026, before stretching further north to Manchester, Leeds and Heathrow, pending a consultation in early 2014. This second phase is expected to open by 2033. Edinburgh and Glasgow would also be linked eventually.
The completed lines would be able to move up to 26,000 people an hour at speeds of up to 250mph.
The overall cost of building the lines should hit £32.7bn, money which would be better spent cutting the price of fuel in the view of Brian Gregory, Chairman of the Association of British Drivers (ABD).
“It will come as a shock to many that our ‘cash strapped’ country has £32 billion spare to spend on one railway line,” he commented.
“Imagine what reducing fuel to around £1 per litre would do to kickstart the UK economy, bringing down prices of goods in the shops and taking thousands out of poverty. That is what £32 billion could achieve for more than eight years.”
Mr Gregory accused the Government of going against public opinion to “build this white elephant which will only save a few businessmen a few minutes”.
Perturbed
Christopher Snelling, Head of Supply Chain Policy with the Freight Transport Association(FTA), recognised how the HS2 would benefit to the freight industry but seemed perturbed by the bulky price tag.
“For investment in infrastructure to provide best value, it must give sufficient weight to the needs of those that move goods, not just passengers,” said Snelling.
“While HS2 will yield only some indirect benefit to freight it most certainly shouldn’t be introduced at its expense, whether in terms of diverting funding away from other areas or by jeopardising existing freight paths.
“Rail freight demands a fair share of any capacity created by HS2 on the existing network. We must try to support what is not just a growing market, but one without which the UK’s emissions reduction targets would begin to look a lot less achievable.”
A poll of AA members last year found that speed was the least important factor in choosing between their car or the HS2 line, with cost the most influential.
AA President Edmund King commented at the time: “If speed is not the over-riding factor then it seems that the Government is backing the wrong horse with HS2.
“This scheme will not provide best value for money. Spending the £34bn cost on conventional rail upgrades, removing road bottlenecks, building bypasses and improving road maintenance would provide much better value for money.”
Welcomed
There was some approval for the project however. Steve Agg, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), deeded the line as “the first step towards building a vital new route” for future generations and reducing congestion.
He explained: “Its importance is not about how quickly we can travel to Birmingham, but as a project that will be a permanent legacy, ensuring our children have a revitalised transport network with an essential new route to the north.
“It will provide a vital boost which, in the long term, will create new jobs and spread wealth across the country, as well as alleviating congestion and improving connectivity for millions of people in a sustainable way.
“The line will also free up much needed spare capacity on the congested existing main lines to the north, which will ensure more paths for freight trains and local passenger traffic. This means journey time savings, passenger volumes and the economic benefits of a new line can be extended and maximised.”
What’s your view on the HS2? A waste of money or necessary to ensure future growth and prosperity? Leave a comment below or tweet us @FleetDirectory.
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