NEWS ANALYSIS
The need
for speed
There’s been much speculation about what a future high-speed rail network might look like, but
soon the waiting will be over. At the end of December, High Speed 2, the company set up to plan
the first line, will submit its report to the government. Although no date has been set for the
report’s publication, Peter Plisner has been assessing what it might say
I
t’s not just the trains that move at great speed when it comes to high- comments in news articles. The odd confidential discussion also helps to
speed rail. Sir David Rowlands and his team at the HS2 company have create a clearer picture of what we should be expect. To start with, instead of
also been moving at a pretty brisk pace. When the company was set up, getting a rough line on a map, which has been the case with previous high-
earlier this year, Lord Adonis asked for a report to be on his desk by the speed reports, the document from HS2 will have a defined route option. It
end of the year and that’s exactly what will happen. To complete the job will be engineered to plus or minus 25 metres. The line will, it’s promised,
in time, it’s understood that some staff at HS2 will be working through the be even more defined in urban areas or environmentally sensitive places.
Christmas holiday. There will be a number of options for routing between London and the
But the timetable just can’t be allowed to slip. With a general election West Midlands, although the authors are expected to express a preference
looming, the report must be considered by the DfT and then published. for a specific route.
It’s not clear when that will happen, but the clever money appears to point It’s likely that most of the route options will follow existing transport
to publication in February or March. Wait until April and the election purdah corridors like the M40, M1 or West Coast Main Line. Lessons have
period will have kicked in and a possible change of government might mean obviously been learned from the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, which, in
the report never sees the light of day. Interestingly, in an effort to prevent that many places, hugs the line of existing motorways. Although there will be
happening, it’s understood that, with the permission of Lord Adonis, there a preferred option for routing to the Midlands, it’s understood that there
have already been discussions between HS2 and the opposition parties. won’t be one for the option of going to Heathrow. Options will be put
When the report does arrive there will be plenty to look at. The main forward to linking HS1 and HS2, although many feel that providing a link
report is expected to be around 150 pages long, but a series of 10 appendix could be a very costly exercise.
documents will push the final page count to more than 1,000. A nice bit The report will present the business case and there will be a detailed
of new-year reading for the transport secretary! What it will actually say, environmental impact assessment for the line to the West Midlands. There
and which route options it puts forward, remain a closely guarded secret will be further analysis of routing options to the north. Three possible
but much can be gleaned from public statements made at conferences and options for a network configuration are expected, with the most viable
14 rAIL profESSIoNAL : january 2010
RPJan10 pp14-15_News Analysis.indd 14 10/12/09 15:18:47
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