Guest column
Key people in the business travel sector share their knowledge and views on issues facing the industry today
KEEPING BUSINESS ON TRACK
Peter Nock is operations concepts manager for the UK high-speed rail project HS2 Ltd. Here he argues why the controversial scheme makes sense for business
HIGH SPEED TWO (HS2) will have a huge impact on business and leisure travel by increasing rail capacity and slashing journey times between Britain’s biggest cities. The new high-speed rail network that we are developing is seen as the most significant infrastructure investment in the UK in modern times. It will act as an engine for growth, supporting over 100,000 jobs, while helping to transform the economic geography of the country. Despite all of these
positives, an argument I often hear against investing in HS2 is that no-one will need to travel over long distances in future due to improvements in telecommunications. According to some sceptics, fibre-optic broadband networks, 4G mobile phones and the development of software such as Skype and Powwownow videoconferencing will mean that people won’t need to travel in future to have face-to-face meetings. My response to this is a simple one – we have had these technologies for some time now and yet passenger numbers on our railways have been increasing year after year, particularly on intercity journeys. Figures released by the
Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) in March show that demand for rail travel has continued to climb – 2012 saw a further 79 million passenger journeys year-on-year since 2011 made on Britain’s railways, boosting overall numbers by 6 per cent to more than 1.4 billion,
and since 2002 the number of passenger journeys has jumped by more than half. This is not just about London, either: the Association of Train Operating Companies’ (ATOC) analysis of rail journey data show that ten of the 14 cities that have seen the highest growth between 2008 and 2012 are outside the south-east. The fact of the matter is,
we have seen unprecedented growth on the railways in the last decade as passenger numbers have continued to climb, despite technological advancements: people use their mobile devices while travelling, not instead of travelling. One of the main reasons why the country needs HS2 is that it will free up much- needed space on our railways. Network Rail has warned that by the mid-2020s, the West Coast Mainline will be effectively full. We need the new high-speed routes to ensure that our rail network
has the capacity for long-term economic success and to cope with a rising population bringing a further increase in the number of passengers. HS2 will free up space for additional commuter, regional and freight services on key rail routes from London to the north on the west and east coasts, as well as the main Midlands line, offering more opportunity for services to meet local needs. It will transform travel between cities not currently well connected by rail. Shorter journey times and
improved connectivity help to re-balance our economy, bringing much-needed business opportunities between the major population centres outside of the capital. Rather than just having London as an ever-expanding economic powerhouse sucking in all the investment, the great cities of the Midlands – Birmingham, Derby and Nottingham – as well as Sheffield, Leeds and
One of the reasons why the country needs HS2 is that it will free up much-needed space on our railways
Peter Nock joined HS2 Ltd in early 2012 as operations concepts manager. A decade’s experience of UK and international railway operations, coupled with a whole career in major-change projects, has equipped him to ensure that the design of the new railway is driven to serve the traveller. A thorough understanding of information technologies coupled with a keen eye for new developments allow him to imagine what people might want in the future. His view is that technology change is relatively simple but predicting people’s behaviour is much harder – so focus on the people and let the technology follow.
Manchester further north, will be able to boost their economic output and increase their contribution to the UK’s GDP. And it’s not just the cities on
the new network that will benefit from reduced journey times: as the HS2 trains will be able to run on the high-speed rail tracks and then straight on to the existing railway, travel between London, Birmingham and Newcastle to Scotland will also be quicker. HS2 will also link up with the
UK’s only other high-speed rail line – HS1, which runs from St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel – to provide a seamless journey to and from the continent. From 2026 business travellers in the West Midlands will be able to go direct to and from Europe without having to stop and change trains at a London terminal. When the second phase of the
network beyond Birmingham and Leeds and Manchester is completed in 2033, it will lead to a significant number of journeys transferring from air and road on to HS2. And those travelling on HS2 will get a transport experience markedly different from the upgraded Victorian railway system we have today. We will be using 21st-century technology for 21st-century passengers, with smarter ticketing systems and airline-style boarding. HS2 is being designed from scratch, from the track upwards, and passengers’ needs are central to our planning. There is no doubt in my mind that the UK’s high- speed rail network will benefit both business travellers and those who buy business travel. n
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