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Boost for London-Birmingham HS2 link as rail review rejects other options

Campaigners see hopes dashed as government prepares to back first stage of £32bn HS2 high-speed rail network

Gwyn Topham, transport correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Friday 6 January 2012 22.30 GMT

The lingering hopes of campaigners of blocking the proposed high speed rail route from London to Birmingham appear to have been dashed after a Network Rail review concluded the alternative options would mean more overcrowding, works and delays.

The transport secretary, Justine Greening, is expected to give the go-ahead to the first stage of the £32bn HS2 network as soon as MPs return to parliament on Tuesday, confirming the route.

She has apparently accepted the conclusions of the review, carried out by Network Rail, of two separate proposals to increase capacity on the existing services. Both, it says, would be costly, cause substantial disruption and be only a short-term solution.

Campaigners believe longer trains, additional services and some extra tracks would mean enough seats on trains. Network Rail says neither proposal would meet its forecast demand.

The review examined both the Rail Package 2 scheme favoured by groups including Stop HS2, and an alternative put forward by the 51m group of councils led by Buckinghamshire county council. While it conceded both alternatives would deliver some improvement, it also claimed they would slow down some existing mainline services, limit freight traffic, and make the network even less reliable.

Network Rail's conclusions will further harden the government's support for the scheme in the face of opposition from Tory heartlands. Although much local opposition in the Chilterns is down to fears of disruption, noise and a blight on rural landscapes, the campaigners believe the economic case has yet to be made.

For the Department for Transport, the arguments for a different approach to upgrading the infrastructure appear to be over. A source said: "Network Rail has carried out a sober and independent analysis … and concluded that patchwork upgrades will not resolve the huge capacity challenges we face.

"Our plans for a new high speed rail network would increase hugely the number of seats … as well as freeing up space on current railways for more trains to operate and all with minimal disruption."

A Network Rail spokesman said: "In just over a decade the West Coast Main Line, Britain's busiest and most economically vital rail artery, will be full. The alternative schemes to HS2 would come at a heavy price in terms of disruption to passengers and the wider economy."

Both would leave commuters unable to board packed trains on the southern end of the line, he said.

The London-Birmingham route is due to be launched in 2026. The government is drawing up plans for the second phase linking Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds by 2032.

In a further co-ordinated show of support more than 100 business leaders, 28 economists and the leaders of trade unions representing 1.5 million workers urged Greening to press ahead. The scheme also has the backing of rail union leaders.

BBC January 2012 Last updated at 09:52 GMT

HS2: High-speed rail link 'to be approved'

A government-backed report has given the clearest signal yet that a new high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham will be approved.

The Network Rail review has looked at two alternatives, favoured by many opponents of the £17bn HS2 scheme.

It concludes both will cause major disruption without solving the longer-term need for greater capacity.

The government is expected to make its final decision on the controversial £17bn HS2 scheme next week.

The 100-mile connection between London and Birmingham, which would be built between 2016 and 2026, aims to cut the journey time to 49 minutes. It would mark the first phase of HS2, with extensions further north later.

A Y-shaped section taking branches to Manchester, Leeds and possibly further north could be finished by 2033.

The entire cost of the project is expected to be £32bn.

'Green light'

The project - introduced by Labour and continued by the coalition government - has proved highly controversial.

Opponents say the planned route crosses an area of outstanding natural beauty and it will damage the environment. It also passes through Conservative heartlands and some Tory MPs have strongly objected to the proposal.

Critics have argued that overcrowding can be eased by improving the existing line, running longer trains and having fewer first-class carriages.

This latest review by Network Rail looked at two alternative schemes which suggest a series of improvements to the existing West Coast Main Line (WCML).

It found that neither would provide enough capacity to meet the predicted passenger demand and both would result in long delays during work on the infrastructure.

BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott says the report is the "clearest indication yet that the scheme will be given the green light".

"But we won't know for sure until the government announces its final decision, expected next week," he added.

The report also found that while cost estimates for the two alternatives were "realistic", other factors such as remodelling work at London's Euston station had not been taken into account and the cost of disruption had been underestimated.

It concluded they would "deliver considerably fewer benefits than a new line".

A Network Rail spokesman said: "The capacity case for a new high-speed line is clear. In just over a decade the WCML, Britain's busiest and most economically vital rail artery, will be full with no more space to accommodate the predicted growth in demand.

"Alternative schemes to HS2 have been put forward which would deliver some short-term capacity benefits, but they would come at a heavy price in terms of disruption to passengers and the wider economy."

Lucy James, from the Campaign for High Speed Rail, said: "This report is just the latest piece of evidence to show that HS2 is the only game in town when it comes to solving the capacity crisis on Britain's railways."

Penny Gaines, from the Stop HS2 campaign, said it was difficult to understand how Network Rail could claim that the alternative plans would cause too much disruption.

"A low-risk series of incremental improvements will bring more benefits to more people more quickly for less money," she added.

Analysis

Richard Westcott
BBC transport correspondent

The decision to build a brand new, high-speed rail line, straight through some of Britain's most picturesque countryside, has always been controversial.

More than 70 protest groups have been set up to oppose it, saying it's a waste of money, and you can solve the capacity problem by spending the cash on the lines we already have.

The debate's been bitter at times, with claims of Nimbyism, even a Christmas single, all in a bid to influence the final decision.

That decision could be as early as Tuesday, which is why Network Rail has brought out this detailed review, dismissing the opposition's claims that beefing up our existing West Coast Main Line, running longer trains and having fewer first class carriages would sort the long-term problem.

It all points towards a green light for the scheme, but even after the government's decision there's still a long way to go. MPs need to vote it through Parliament, and they won't actually begin building it for another four years.

The Sky News version doesn't really say anything new but has a catchy title: High-Speed Rail Link Plans Build Up Steam

High-speed rail link HS2 set for go ahead from minister

Transport secretary Justine Greening to emphasise benefits to other UK cities from 200mph London-to-Birmingham link

Gwyn Topham and Allegra Stratton
The Guardian, Tuesday 10 January 2012

The transport secretary will attempt to underline the benefits of high-speed rail to the rest of the country, beyond the planned routes between London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, as she gives the green light to the £32bn project on Tuesday.

Justine Greening will confirm the first phase of the route from London to Birmingham on which high-speed trains will start running in 2026. She will also stress that the investment will mean faster, better services, and more trains to destinations beyond Britain's second city, and emphasise the first phase should be only the foundation of a future network.

With opponents of the project questioning the huge expenditure for time savings of half an hour between London and Birmingham, the government will stress that early beneficiaries of the scheme will be places off or beyond the HS2 route. Some high-speed trains – although not the double deckers mooted at the weekend by Greening – would continue onward on existing track to destinations on the west side of the country. Liverpool, Glasgow and Preston will first to benefit from these through-running services from 2026, travelling the first stage from London to the West Midlands at more than 200mph.

Manchester would also see reduced journey times southwards even before the network's second phase is finished in 2032, connecting it to Birmingham. At that point, should a proposed spur joining the Eurostar route out of St Pancras be built, passengers from Paris will have the tantalising prospect of reaching Manchester on direct trains in 3½ hours.

Leeds will be equally accessible when the second branch of the Y-shaped network is finished also in 2032. It will cut journey times from Birmingham to Leeds – and beyond to Durham and Newcastle – by almost an hour.

A Department for Transport source said: "HS2 is not just about getting between London, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester more quickly, but bringing faster services and many more seats to towns and cities well beyond the HS2 network.

"It would work just like a motorway. No one uses a motorway to get all the way from their front door to their final destination, but they use it because it offers high capacity and faster services – precisely what HS2 will offer rail passengers."

Numerous business leaders, unions and some economists have recently come out in favour of the scheme, although others describe the government's economic case as seriously flawed. Environmental groups have expressed loud concerns.

While the benefits of faster links may be clearer for towns and cities in the north, the government will have to contend with anger in its heartlands in southern constituencies, which will face the prospect of years of construction for no direct local benefit.

On Monday the Countryside Alliance warned that the government had yet to take "full consideration of the devastating impact HS2 will have on Britain's countryside or the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people living along the route".

The concerns of campaigners in the Chilterns are likely to be tempered by mitigation measures, possibly including an extra stretch of tunnel north of Amersham in the Chiltern hills, meaning that miles of the track would run underground. This alteration to the route is believed to one of the considerations that led Greening to delay her decision from December. It is unlikely to completely assuage local fears about the effects of building the network, with some calculating that merely removing the spoil from tunnelling will involve many hundreds of thousands of lorry journeys, but might give political cover to Tory MPs such as the Welsh secretary, Cheryl Gillan, who has threatened to resign over HS2.

The coalition's immediate concern is whether Gillan feels the package fails to make any changes in her constituency of Chesham and Amersham; she has said she would rather resign than accept the route as it has been proposed but officials have worked hard in consultation with MPs and ministers to take on board their concerns and suggested the eventual route will show the government has listened.

One source suggested Gillan had indicated she might not decide until the legislation has been published in 2013 – a date allowing the government some leeway in dealing with any parliamentary rebellion. One MP at the vanguard of opposition – Andrea Leadsom, MP for South Northamptonshire – has predicted "more than 30" MPs may rebel.

Any vote at second reading of the legislation could be as late as autumn 2013, meaning the flashpoint for any resignations or parliamentary revolt would be delayed significantly. Pressure is not acute on the government as Labour supports the plan and legislation would be likely to pass easily, but the prime minister, David Cameron, will not want to lose a cabinet minister as it would force a reshuffle he has not been inclined to perform.

BBC 10 January 2012 Last updated at 15:15 GMT

HS2: High-speed rail network gets go-ahead

A £33bn high-speed rail network has been given the go-ahead by the government, despite strong opposition.

Phase one of HS2, between London and Birmingham, should be running by 2026, later extending to northern England.

Transport Secretary Justine Greening has announced extra tunnelling along the 140-mile (225km) first phase in response to environmental concerns.

She said it would create "jobs, growth and prosperity", but critics dispute projected benefits of up to £47bn.

Ms Greening called the line "the most significant transport infrastructure project since the building of the motorways".

The London to Birmingham link would be followed by a second phase of Y-shaped track reaching Manchester and Leeds by about 2033, she said.

A consultation on the second phase will begin in early 2014, with a final route chosen by the end of that year.

Travelling at speeds of up to 250mph, passengers will be able to commute from Birmingham to London in 45 minutes, reducing the journey time by almost half from one hour and 24 minutes.

A Birmingham to Leeds journey will be reduced from two hours to 57 minutes and a Manchester to London journey from two hours and eight minutes to one hour and eight minutes.

Connections to existing lines should then cut journey times between London, and Edinburgh and Glasgow, to three-and-a-half hours.

The first phase of HS2 will include a connection to Europe via the Channel Tunnel. On completion of HS2 the network will include a direct link to Heathrow.

"By following in the footsteps of the 19th Century railway pioneers, the government is signalling its commitment to providing 21st Century infrastructure and connections - laying the groundwork for long-term, sustainable economic growth," said Ms Greening.

The government estimates that the project could eventually result in 9 million road journeys and 4.5 million journeys by plane instead being taken by train every year.

"HS2 is therefore an important part of transport's low-carbon future," Ms Greening said.

There had been almost 55,000 responses to the consultation process on the project, which clearly "generates strong feelings, both in favour and against the scheme", the minister said.

She pledged a commitment to "developing a network with the lowest feasible impacts on local communities and the natural environment".

"I have been mindful that we must safeguard the natural environment as far as possible, both for the benefit of those enjoying our beautiful countryside today and for future generations."

Revisions to the route had halved the number of homes at risk, as well as reducing by a third the number due to experience increased noise, she said.

Changes to the plans, Ms Greening said, also meant that "more than half the route will now be mitigated by tunnel or cutting", including:

A longer tunnel through the Chiltern Hills from Little Missenden, Buckinghamshire, to the M25
A new 2.75-mile (4km) tunnel to avoid impacts on communities in Ruislip, north-west London
A longer covered cutting, known as a green tunnel, past Chipping Warden and Aston le Walls in Northamptonshire
A curve in the route to avoid heritage sites around Edgcote, Northants
Longer green tunnels at Wendover and South Heath, Bucks
The Department for Transport said that 22.5 miles of the first phase would now be enclosed in tunnels or green tunnels - up from 14.5 miles for the route that went to consultation - and a further 56.5 miles of cuttings would significantly reduce "visual and noise impact".

'Wealthy few'

Protest groups formed to oppose the scheme say the planned route crosses an area of outstanding natural beauty and it will damage the environment.

Adam Thomas, whose home in the Chiltern hills will make way for the rail route, said: "We're going to lose our home which we've spent so long building for ourselves. But I feel more sorry in a way for the country because it's such a colossal waste of money and it is genuinely is not needed."

Opponents have also challenged the government's economic argument, suggesting the costs will be greater while the economic benefits will be lower than forecast, and that the business case for HS2 is based on an overly-optimistic prediction of growth in demand for long-distance train travel.

"There is no business case, no environmental case and there is no money to pay for it," said Stop HS2 campaign co-ordinator Joe Rukin.

"It's a white elephant of monumental proportions and you could deliver more benefits to more people more quickly for less money by investing in the current rail infrastructure."

Craig Bennett, director of policy and campaigns at Friends of the Earth, said: "We need to revolutionise travel away from roads and planes, but pumping £32bn into high-speed travel for the wealthy few while ordinary commuters suffer is not the answer.

"High-speed rail has a role to play in developing a greener, faster transport system, but current plans won't do enough to cut emissions overall - ministers should prioritise spending on improving local train and bus services instead."

However, the plan would be welcomed by "businesses up and down the country", said John Longworth, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce.

"Britain cannot continue to 'make do and mend' when it comes to its substandard infrastructure. Fundamentally, our global competitiveness is at stake," he said.

Stephen Joseph, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: "We're pleased to see the government investing in rail, rather than roads and aviation, and acting on some of the local environmental concerns surrounding HS2."

But he went on: "The process for deciding on the London-Birmingham part of HS2 has been too narrow and people feel left out.

"In consulting on the lines north of Birmingham, the government needs to involve people earlier with greater discussion of alternative options, including ways rail investment can support low-carbon growth in the communities served, and also how any new lines will integrate with existing networks and improve local as well as long-distance transport."

Analysis

Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News

Big infrastructure projects often carry potential for both environmental benefit and harm; and HS2 is no exception.

Wildlife groups have warned it could damage around 160 important wildlife sites, and the latest modifications to the route have done little to alter that picture.

Stephen Trotter, head of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, told BBC News he was "very disappointed"; the much vaunted extra tunnels will do little, he said, and there's still "serious concern" about destruction to woodlands and other important habitats.

All this might be bearable for environmental groups if HS2 guaranteed a big win on carbon emissions; but it doesn't.

The government's own projections show it's not certain to reduce either flying or road use.

In any case, the trains will only be a green transport option if the electricity they use comes from low-carbon sources - which hangs on continuing government support for renewables and nuclear.

Anti-HS2 campaigners argue that improving existing lines could bring more certain environmental benefits much cheaper and much sooner.


Full text of Minister's statement

A new high-speed rail line between London and Birmingham has been approved by Transport Secretary Justine Greening. Here is her statement in full:

"The consultation High Speed Rail: Investing in Britain's Future was one of the largest national consultations ever undertaken by the Department for Transport.

54,909 responses were received, from individuals, businesses and organisations across the country. It is clear from the consultation that a national high speed rail network - High Speed 2 - generates strong feelings, both in favour and against the scheme.

Since becoming Secretary of State for Transport I have taken time to consider all aspects of the consultation proposals and the evidence arising from both consultation responses and further work undertaken or commissioned by my Department and HS2 Ltd. This statement summarises my decisions.

I have decided Britain should embark upon the most significant transport infrastructure project since the building of the motorways by supporting the development and delivery of a new national high speed rail network.

By following in the footsteps of the 19th century railway pioneers, the government is signalling its commitment to providing 21st century infrastructure and connections - laying the groundwork for long-term, sustainable economic growth.

High Speed 2 (HS2) is a scheme to deliver hugely enhanced rail capacity and connectivity between Britain's major conurbations. It is the largest transport infrastructure investment in the UK for a generation, and, with the exception of High Speed 1 (HS1), is the first major new railway line since the Victorian era.

The HS2 Y network will provide direct, high capacity, high speed links between London, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, with intermediate stations in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.

There will also be direct links to Heathrow Airport and to the Continent via the HS1 line. It will form a foundation for a potentially wider high speed network in years to come.

HS2 will be built in two phases to ensure that the benefits of high speed rail are realised at the earliest possible opportunity. The line from London to the West Midlands and the connection to HS1 are expected to open in 2026, followed, in 2032-33, by the onward legs to Manchester and Leeds and the connection to Heathrow.

The capital cost at 2011 prices of building the complete Y network is £32.7bn. At present values, it will generate benefits of up to £47bn and fare revenues of up to £34 billion over a 60-year period.

The benefits of HS2 will extend beyond the network itself; links to current lines will enable direct trains to run to cities such as Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh and, with long-distance services transferring to the new network, space will be freed up for new commuter, regional and freight services on other lines, opening up new opportunities for Britain's existing railways.

Links to key urban transport networks, such as Crossrail, will help to spread the benefits further still.

HS2 is entirely consistent with the Government's objectives for carbon emissions. Electrified rail is a comparatively low-carbon mode of transport, especially with the continued decarbonisation of the grid.

Speed increases power consumption, but also makes HS2 more attractive to those currently flying or driving. The faster journeys on HS2 - Edinburgh and Glasgow will be just 3.5 hours from London - could transfer around 4.5 million journeys per year who might otherwise have travelled by air and 9 million from the roads.

HS2 will also create more rail capacity on existing conventional speed lines for freight - removing lorries from our busy trunk roads. HS2 is therefore an important part of transport's low-carbon future.

In securing these benefits for our country, I am committed to developing a network with the lowest feasible impacts on local communities and the natural environment.

I have been mindful that we must safeguard the natural environment as far as possible, both for the benefit of those enjoying our beautiful countryside today and for future generations.

People living along the line of route highlighted particular concerns and provided constructive and thoughtful comments about the London to West Midlands route proposed at consultation.

Following careful study by my engineers I can announce a package of alterations to further reduce the route's impacts. The changes mean that more than half the route will now be mitigated by tunnel or cutting and there will also be a reduction in the impacts on people and communities, ancient woodlands and important heritage sites.

The changes include:

A longer, continuous tunnel from Little Missenden to the M25 through the Chilterns;
A new 2.75 mile (4.4 km) bored tunnel along the Northolt Corridor to entirely avoid major works to the Chilterns Line and impacts on local communities in the Ruislip area;
A longer green tunnel past Chipping Warden and Aston Le Walls, and to curve the route to avoid a cluster of important heritage sites around Edgcote; and
A longer green tunnel to significantly reduce impacts around Wendover, and an extension to the green tunnel at South Heath.
The revised route offers considerable improvements to communities, with the number of dwellings at risk of land take almost halving and the number experiencing increased noise levels reducing by a third.

Despite these improvements to limit the negative impacts of the line, HS2 will inevitably affect some homeowners, communities and businesses.

To help those affected, we will bring in a package of measures, which are over and above what affected homeowners are already entitled to under law.

These include:

A streamlined purchase scheme to simplify the statutory blight process for property owners;
A sale and rent back scheme to give homeowners within the safeguarded area more flexibility;
A streamlined small claims scheme for construction damage which will allow individuals and businesses who are entitled to compensation under existing law to claim it more quickly and simply;
A package of measures to reinforce confidence in properties above tunnels. Homeowners will be offered before and after surveys, a thorough assessment of the impact of similar tunnels, an explanation of the measures that will be taken to prevent perceptible vibration impacts, financial compensation for the compulsory purchase of subsoil, and a legally binding promise that HS2 will be permanently responsible for resolving any related settlement or subsidence issues; and,
A refreshed hardship-based property purchase scheme

Finally, we will work constructively with local authorities along the line of route to minimise the negative consequences of HS2 and maximise the benefits.

In November I announced the Triennial Review of HS2 Ltd, and in making my decision I have accepted the finding that HS2 Ltd is the appropriate body to continue undertaking this work.

Today I have presented to Parliament a full account of my decisions titled High Speed Rail: Investing in Britain's Future - Decisions and Next Steps.

My department has published a series of supporting documents which set out in further detail the basis on which I have reached my decisions."

The rise of Justine Greening

by Ben Duckworth / 10 Jan 2012 14:56
totalpolitics

The transport secretary today announces HS2 will go ahead. You should keep your eye on her

Having spent Christmas and New Year finalising the decision to give HS2 the thumbs up, Justine Greening will stand up in the House of Commons and announce that the £32bn new railway line will be built in time for 2026. It is her first major announcement – and it’s about the largest infrastructure project you can have on a cabinet minister’s CV. That’s not bad considering that Greening has only been in the cabinet since last October following Liam Fox’s resignation and Philip Hammond’s move to the MoD to replace him.

Greening is highly thought of in the government, and particularly by George Osborne. As economic secretary to the Treasury, she built a reputation for being very able. Now that Greening is in charge of the transport department, she is trusted to spend when the chancellor opens the Treasury’s coffers. Her close relationship with Osborne “gives her a huge advantage in government” says one government colleague. But while her public appearances, particularly on Newsnight, saw the MP for Putney in serious mode, don’t make the mistake of thinking Greening is a humourless automaton.

In fact, Greening is known for being quite fun by fellow Conservative MPs. ‘She’s actually quite a laugh’ said one MP earlier today. As a Treasury minister, she was fond of being part of the gang in ‘naughty boys corner’ in the Commons. Sitting to the side of the Speaker’s chair, they are often the source of the loudest jeers towards Labour and the Speaker – much to his chagrin. The high-esteem in which she is held can be judged by lack of much grumbling at her rapid promotion into the cabinet. Her replacement at the Treasury, Chloe Smith, was not so fortunate and many MPs, whose ambitions are being thwarted, still grumble about that move.

Even with the opposition of the Conservative MPs whose constituencies lie on the route between London and Birmingham, Greening shouldn’t face too much serious opposition at the moment. For one, she has announced 22 miles of tunnels to decrease the environmental impact. And, as the sharp Paul Goodman of ConservativeHome points out, there is no Bill yet in front of the Commons for the new railway. Until that happens the rebelliousness mood on the Tory benches should be manageable.

Today, Justine Greening gets to announce a massive, ambitious infrastructure project. Not many British politicians get to do that. Keep your eye on her. She has even been, quietly, touted as future leadership material.


High Speed Two plans get broad welcome

Posted: 10th January 2012 | No Comments
railnews.co.uk


THERE HAS been a welcome in many quarters for the High Speed 2 plans announced by transport secretary Justine Greening today, but anti-HS2 campaigners are vowing to continue their opposition to the £32 billion project, which will eventually link London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds with trains travelling at up to 400km/h.

The first section between London and Birmingham is to open in 2026, with the branches of the 'Y', onwards to Manchester and Leeds via the East Midlands, due to follow in 2033. A formal consultation on the second phase routes will begin in early 2014, with a final route chosen by the end of that year.

Although the London-Birmingham route has now been decided, following last year's consultation, it has been revealed that there have been some changes to the plans over the past few months, in a bid to take account of some of the environmentally-based opposition.

The Department for Transport said around 36km of the route will now be in tunnel or green tunnel – compared to 23km at the consultation stage – and another 94km will be in cuttings. A further 64km will be on viaducts or embankments – a reduction of 16km from the consultation route.

ATOC chief executive Michael Roberts said: “HS2 is a vote of confidence in the railways and recognition of the vital role the industry has to play in supporting jobs and driving sustainable economic growth.

“HS2 would help to alleviate the capacity crunch on many of our major rail corridors and offer the prospect of shorter journey times between London and other major English cities. It would also allow for faster and more frequent local services in areas between London and Birmingham, as space is freed up on existing lines.

“By deploying the best of British design and engineering in the construction of the high speed line in Kent we struck the right balance between national and local interest – we can do the same again with HS2.”

The Liberal Democrats said the announcement was 'excellent news'. Julian Huppert, who is co-chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on Transport, said: " It will make life easier for passengers and bring huge benefits to the country as a whole, generating economic growth and creating jobs.

“This project will also improve national capacity for rail freight. Finally rail can be seen as a realistic alternative to the road for moving freight. This has the potential to take heavy goods vehicles off our major routes. This project will also improve connections further north and up to Scotland, so it is important that the Government starts planning for the next phases soon."

Not surprisingly. the announcement was also greeted warmly by groups who have been campaigning in favour of a domestic High Speed network.

Key figures from the regional consortium Go-HS2, which include Birmingham City Council, transport authority Centro, Birmingham Chamber,

NEC Group, Birmingham Airport and Marketing Birmingham, said the go-ahead for the project meant thousands of jobs and a multi-billion pound boost for the West Midlands economy.

Mike Whitby, who is leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “The go-ahead for HS2 provides probably the single most important opportunity for economic growth in this region for generations."

The RMT union sounded a warning about what it feared could be some of the implications, and called for complete public ownership of the new lines.

The union's general secretary Bob Crow said: "No one has fought harder for the investment and modernisation required to drag the UK’s railways out of the slow lane than RMT and development of high speed links must be a key component of our rail plans. However, any attempt by the Government to pay for these developments by cutting jobs, services and investment elsewhere in the system, along the lines set out in the McNulty rail review, will meet with the stiffest resistance from RMT.

"RMT is also demanding that High Speed Two be built, owned and operated in the public sector free from the greed and profiteering of the private rail companies."

The DfT said the business case was still good, despite the effects of the economic crisis, and put the cost of the project at £32.7 billion. It expected the complete 'Y' shaped network to generate benefits of £47billion and fare revenues of up to £34 billion over 60 years.

But opponents are continuing to challenge the government's economic argument, suggesting the costs will be greater while the economic benefits will be lower than forecast, and that the business case for HS2 is too optimistic about future growth in demand for long-dtstance rail travel.

Emma Boon of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: "High Speed Rail will leave generations of ordinary taxpayers paying for a train set that will mostly be used by the rich. We can't afford £32 billion for this project right now. The business case is fundamentally flawed and the Government have vastly inflated the benefits of HSR to the regional economy while hiding the true costs of the project."

Joe Rukin of Stop HS2 agreed. He said: "There is no business case, no environmental case and there is no money to pay for it. It's a white elephant of monumental proportions and you could deliver more benefits to more people more quickly for less money by investing in the current rail infrastructure."

HS2 high-speed rail link gets green light and 'green' tunnels

Biggest boost to UK rail network since 1899 with key concessions on tunnels for London-Birmingham link

Gwyn Topham, transport correspondent
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 10 January 2012 19.29 GMT

The biggest leap forward in Britain's rail network since the 19th century was announced on Tuesday with a £32.7bn investment in high-speed rail linking London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.

The transport secretary, Justine Greening, said the HS2 high-speed rail scheme would build critical infrastructure, providing vital capacity and faster journeys on trains carrying up to 1,100 passengers each.

The network, to be running by 2026 and completed by 2033, will almost halve some journey times between England's biggest cities and make it significantly quicker to travel from the north of England and Scotland to London. Greening promised that by attracting passengers away from roads and air services, "its benefits will be felt far beyond the network".

The Department for Transport unveiled several tweaks to the first stage of the HS2 route to mollify opponents in the wealthy commuter belt north and west of London. An important concession is the building of extra tunnels in the picturesque Wendover area which will minimise disruption to the landscape and everyday life. Construction work will not start until 2017 at the earliest, with the first stage of the route seeing trains in 2026.

The government confirmed that a link would be created in north London to the existing high-speed line to the Channel tunnel, meaning Birmingham could see direct high-speed services to Paris and Brussels in 14 years' time.

Greening said: "At the heart is the need to address capacity shortfall. Unless we take action, by the 2020s the west coast main line will be full." The last time a whole new line had been built was the grand central main line in 1899, she said. "Since then, we've used the rail network in a way the Victorians would be proud of. But there comes a time when you can't just patch things up. It's clear the existing network won't deliver. We need a new line."

The transport secretary admitted the high-speed option would cost "around 10%" more than the alternative of upgrading the present infrastructure and trains but said the benefits would be substantial. She likened her decision to that of postwar planners choosing motorways rather than better A-roads. Almost 55,000 people responded to the public consultation, she said, with strong feelings on both sides. The government will also be offering an improved package of measures to reassure homeowners, including streamlined claims schemes for blight and compensation, and before and after surveys for those near tunnelling work.

The economic case has long been questioned by opponents, but the government – while slightly downgrading its forecast for returns on investment – insisted the budget would not increase and the new "green tunnels" would save money by reducing the amount of earth removed from the Chilterns. Greening claimed the first phase alone would create 40,000 jobs.

Andrew Adonis, transport minister in the last Labour government and architect of the plan, said the economic analyses were notional figures and distracted from "the real choice: open-heart surgery on the existing lines or a proper alternative".

Leading transport commentators said that while all investment was welcome, the money could have been better spent. Railway expert Christian Wolmar said: "The government is driving through this project even though the evidence suggests that there are cheaper alternatives well worth looking at that would relieve other overcrowded parts of the network, such as lines out of Paddington and Victoria."

Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said it was "a profound disappointment it will go on a project for which the economic, business, social and environmental case is weak at best". He said scores of other road and rail projects would deliver greater benefits much sooner.

The announcement was welcomed by business leaders and MPs in the Midlands and the north. The TUC said it was good news but demanded that the investment mean real jobs and apprenticeships.

Cheryl Gillan, the Welsh secretary, had threatened to resign from the cabinet if HS2 went ahead, but on Tuesday welcomed the changes to the route, which will send future rail passengers through her constituency largely underground. She indicated she was still seeking more assurances from the transport secretary.

With parliamentary legislation to build the London-Birmingham route to be introduced next year, and Labour having pledged to support it, a revolt is unlikely to upset the passage of the bill.

However, Buckinghamshire county council, which has been co-ordinating an anti-HS2 alliance, said "there would appear to be nothing to dissuade us" from dropping a threat to seek a judicial review.

While the Chilterns have hosted the best-funded campaigns and most vocal opposition to date, most of the 338 homes earmarked for demolition will be local authority flats around Euston station. Camden council said the plan was "incomprehensible folly".

The options for the precise route north of Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester will be drawn up later this year with a full public consultation in 2014, and a final decision by December that year. The second stage will include a spur to Heathrow from the new Old Oak Common interchange in London.

Key points

• HS2 trains will be up to 400m long with 1,100 seats

• An extra 26,000 passenger seats each hour on intercity routes

• Trains to travel at up to 250mph

• Birmingham to London journeys now set to be 45 mins instead of 84 mins

• More than 22 miles of tunnel on the route

• A spur to Heathrow will be built by 2033

HIGH-SPEED RAIL LINK WILL PUT US ON TRACK FOR BRIGHTER FUTURE

The high-speed link is no vanity project. It is vitally needed for our future.

Daily Express
Thursday January 12,2012
By Leo McKinstry

FIFTY years ago Britain’s railways seemed to be in terminal decline.

They were increasingly viewed by the political class as an inefficient relic of the Victorian era, unable to compete in the exciting new age of the motor car and the jet plane.

That mood of hostility was graphically embodied in Dr Richard Beeching, the ruthless chairman of British Rail who cut a third of the entire network during the Sixties.

But now, exactly half-a-century after the Beeching axe first began to fall, the railways are enjoying a remarkable comeback, thanks partly to high petrol costs and excessive congestion on the roads. Train travel is booming, both in terms of passengers and freight.

There were more than 1.35 billion journeys made in 2010/11, the highest total since the end of the Second World War. The problem today is not one of remorseless decline but of insufficient capacity to meet soaring demand.
Just as the Olympics brought work for 75,000 British firms so this project will create tens of thousands of badly needed jobs

The revival of the trains was reinforced this week by the coalition’s decision to approve the construction of a new high-speed rail link between the north of England and London.

It is a colossal project that will take around 20 years to complete at a cost of £33billion. Half of this sum will be spent on the first part of the scheme, the development of a new line between Birmingham and the capital, due to open in 2026.

In announcing the Government’s decision, Transport Secretary Justine Greening extolled the benefits of the new link, including not only significantly reduced journey times through trains that will reach 250mph but also economic regeneration and job creation.

Yet none of this was enough to convince the project’s large army of critics. Some have complained about the huge price tag at a time of austerity.

Others have claimed that only wealthy business types, not hard-pressed commuters, will gain. By far the most bitter opposition has come from those living along the proposed route to Birmingham who fear that the new line will rip through vast swathes of the beautiful English countryside.

That sense of anger was captured by the much-loved actor Geoffrey Palmer, a resident of the ancient village of Great Missenden in the Chilterns, who spoke of his “shock and horror” at the plan.

Much as I can appreciate the anxieties of opponents, my own view is that the new link will provide a tremendous boost for both British transport and the whole economy. It is precisely at a time of sluggish growth that we need big capital projects that will create an asset for the nation, transform our infrastructure and reawaken the engineering skills for which Britain was once globally renowned.

While some of the arguments against the high-speed rail link are made powerfully, I think they are misguided. A common refrain from campaigners is that the money would be better spent on other improvements to the rail network such as providing additional track on busy routes. But the fact is that it is much cheaper and less disruptive to build a new line than to carry out such upgrades.

That was dramatically proved by the painful saga of the recent works programme on the West Coast Main Line between London and Glasgow, which cost £13billion, caused massive inconvenience and increased average speeds by only 15 mph.

In contrast the new high-speed line will improve rail services all round between the north and the south by lessening the burden on existing operations and thereby freeing up capacity. Nor should the environmental problems be exaggerated. Around half of the link to Birmingham will not be visible at all, since it will be placed in tunnels or cuttings. Indeed in the Chilterns only 1.2 miles of the line will be above ground.

When a high-speed link was first proposed between southern Kent and London there was similar alarmist talk of degradation and blight but all such predictions proved to be unfounded once it was built. Quiet and smooth the
highly successful line is far less damaging than the clogged motorways that traverse Kent.

The fast rail link through Kent has also proved a powerful engine of regeneration throughout much of the county. That will also happen once the new line to the north is finished. Yes it is expensive but the £33billion bill, spread over 20 years, is less than half of the sum we spend every year on welfare benefits to the unemployed, for which we receive no return.

Similarly the £17billion cost of the section to Birmingham is less than the annual sum squandered on housing benefit. Just as the Olympics brought work for 75,000 British firms so this project will create tens of thousands of badly needed jobs in construction and engineering, as well as rebalancing the nature of the economy.

At present economic activity is far too centred on London but a decent rail infrastructure will revitalise the regions, encourage business relocation and fuel export trade through better freight connections to the continent. By bringing the nation closer together, the gross distortions in the housing market will be lessened. In order to rebuild Britain we must embrace high-speed rail.

Even Saudi Arabia and Morocco have more miles of high-speed track than we do. Yet Britain was the nation that invented the railways. In the 19th century visionary engineers such as George Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel made Britain the industrial powerhouse of the world.

If our forebears had adopted the negative, short-termist attitude we see today the lines would never have been built.

Today the high-speed link is no vanity project. It is vitally needed for our future.

Preparation 'haytch': Justine Greening gives high-speed train a Dickensian feel

The transport secretary's pronunciation of HS2 follows a political tradition of not listening to what you are saying or how you sound

Simon Hoggart
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 12 January 2012 20.06 GMT

Charles Dickens's birthday is next month, and let's hope the Commons remembers him properly. He worked for Hansard, and was the greatest of all parliamentary sketchwriters. For me to say I am following in his footsteps would be like Ernie Wise claiming to be in the playwriting tradition of Shakespeare.

I noticed on Tuesday that Justine Greening, the new transport secretary, always referred to the high-speed train, HS2, as "haytch" instead of "aitch" S2. At transport questions, she called it "high speed two" throughout – the result, I suspect, of a word from an embarrassed civil servant. But "haytch" has a good Dickensian feel to it. My mind drifted to the riverside at Putney, Ms Greening's seat, where, clothed in rags and covered in tar and sand, she is mending fishermen's nets. The young hero, Arthur Atkins, has asked her how he might get to Birmingham.

"Haar, tis passage to Brumminum you want, young Harthur Hatkins!" she cackles. "Ye'll need to catch that ketch a-bound for Waterloo! Then tekk the 'orse-drawn Northern line as far as Heuston station, harr, and ye'll be thar in 10 minutes, quick as a knife through dripping, my lovely ..."

I snapped out of the reverie and reflected that most politicians do not actually listen to what they are saying. Well, they do: they have the equivalent of the "seven-second loop" used in radio phone-ins to give the host time to cut out the obscene or libellous. In the same way they can filter out anything that might offend the party whips or their own constituents. But they're not listening to what's left. Take Labour's Barry Sheerman, who wanted more low-cost road engineering schemes which, he said, reduce accidents and so save lives: "They are the best investment and offer the best bang for the buck."

Hmmm. Shortly afterwards we had the Tories' James Grey, who was complaining about the closure of railway booking offices "right across the piste". We are in the Austrian Alps, and a skier is charging down a black run. Suddenly, there in his way is a little hut in which a man in a peaked cap is muttering about a return ticket to Kyle of Lochalsh while a dozen frustrated commuters queue, fuming, right across the piste.

Best of all is when they are so desperate to get it right that they get it wrong. For example, Lynne Featherstone, the Lib Dem junior minister for women, announced that "a diet is for life, not just for Christmas", which, since Christmas is the time we all stop dieting, is the opposite of the truth. Moments later she was asked about breastfeeding, and the fact that British mothers do less than other Europeans. "I don't want people who can't breastfeed to feel badly about not being able to breastfeed," she said.

I wanted to lean over and yell: "I can't breastfeed, and I don't feel badly at all! I was delighted I didn't have to get up at 3am to feed our children!" It would have done no good. Ms Featherstone was determined not to be gender-specific in anything she said, and risk being a female chauvinist pig. So the remark sailed right through her seven-second loop.

HS2 not the best value rail option, says government report

Transport department analysis shows advantages to taxpayer in second, cheaper scheme to upgrade west coast line

Jamie Doward
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 14 January 2012 19.46 GMT

Critics of High Speed 2, the planned £33bn fast rail link between London and the north of England, have been bolstered by a report commissioned by the government and quietly published the day the project's go-ahead was announced. The report, by engineering firm Atkins, estimates the project offers a far poorer return on the taxpayers' investment than an alternative scheme aimed at improving existing lines and services.

In a separate development it has been disclosed that Cheryl Gillan, the Welsh secretary, sold her home in Amersham 500 metres from the proposed route two months before the project was approved. An aide said the sale, which leaves her without a constituency home, was necessary because her elderly husband had difficulty with the stairs.

Atkins was asked by the Department for Transport "to appraise a set of strategic alternatives to the government's overall proposed high-speed rail strategy for a Y-shaped network linking London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds". The report concludes that a more modest counter-proposal, known as "51m" – referring to the amount critics of HS2 claim the overall cost of the high-speed project represents for each parliamentary constituency in the UK – would give a significantly greater return on investment.

It estimates that 51m's proposals to increase long-distance capacity on the west coast main line by lengthening the trains to 12 cars, reducing the number of first-class carriages and running additional peak long-distance services, offered the taxpayer a return of £6.06 for every pound invested. In contrast, the government's official advice is that HS2 will deliver a return of between £1.80 and £2.50 for every pound invested. If the analysis is restricted only to HS2's London to Birmingham route and strips out its wider economic benefits, the benefit-cost ratio falls to 1.4 – below what the government believes is acceptable to justify investment.

The former transport secretary,Philip Hammond told the transport select committee: "As rail projects go, a benefit-cost ratio of 2.6 is quite reasonable. If it were to fall much below 1.5, I would certainly be putting it under some very close scrutiny."

Critics say much of the government's case for the project's economic contribution is based on the debatable premise that few people work while on trains. The revelation that a government-commissioned report suggests there may be more attractive rail projects than HS2 will give the critics fresh ammunition as they also question claims it will deliver one million jobs by 2020. "There's spin and there's complete fantasy," said Bruce Weston, director of HS2 Action Alliance, which opposes the project and drew up the 51m alternative. "A million new jobs from HS2 is pure fantasy."

The transport secretary, Justine Greening, said: "HS2 will deliver up to 26,000 more seats for rail passengers each hour and journey times slashed by as much as half. By attracting passengers off existing rail lines, roads and domestic air services, its benefits will be felt far beyond the network. No amount of tinkering with our Victorian rail infrastructure will deliver this leap in capacity."

Weston said Greening's decision "is not even based on the facts in her own report – it's despite them".

The view is likely to be shared by Lord Astor, father-in-law of the prime minister and chairman of the Old Berkshire hunt, who said the west coast upgrade was a "perfectly viable alternative" to HS2 that would be "cheaper and faster to take effect".

A Department for Transport spokesman said a report found the 51m alternative did not deal with long-term overcrowding on the west coast main line and would cause delays.