Next steps
After months of consultation and controversy, the high speed rail line between London and the West Midlands got the go-ahead in January. Peter Plisner has been looking at the detail behind the announcement and some of the additional information that’s been released
for HS2 T
he words from the transport secretary were pretty emphatic. ‘We are ready for a new chapter in Britain’s transport history, one designed to boost our economy and our country, just as the first coming of the railways or the motorways did for previous generations.’
Just weeks after being appointed to the top job, Justine
Greening gave the final go-ahead to HS2. But her statement to MPs in parliament was just the tip of the iceberg for those keeping a keen eye on high speed rail pronouncements. Along with the statement came yet another shower of documents, including a further command paper as thick as the one published by the Labour government when it first announced plans for high speed rail back in March 2009. The latest paper covers a lot of ground and includes a detailed
summary and responses to the public consultation held last year along the route of the controversial line. Parts of the document concentrate on the need to provide more capacity with phrases like: ‘Demand for rail travel is forecast to continue growing steadily for the next 20-30 years and many services will
be full by the mid-2020s if we do not act now.’ The document also maintains that
moving a significant proportion of the current intercity services from the existing railway onto new HS2 lines would create space for additional commuter, regional and freight services. There are also new claims about how the line would help support economic growth. The
document states: ‘The monetised benefits of the network to business
are forecast to be approximately £34-45bn. These come both from
faster, more comfortable and convenient journeys, and from businesses being able to operate more efficiently, increasing their productivity, accessing
new markets and labour pools.’ On employment there appear to be some new figures too, with an estimate that HS2 could support
PAGE 14 MARCH 2012
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Shutterstock/Andrew Metto
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