Why HS2 is such a white elephant for British transport
Two days ago, Boris Johnson, on the insistence of his chief adviser Dominic Cummings despite as many as 60 Conservative MPs (mainly representing northern constituencies) opposing the project, signed approval for construction of HS2, even though the first stage will not be completed for another 10 years (with Manchester and Leeds not benefitting for another 20 years) and it will cause untold levels of destruction to ancient woodlands and countryside along its proposed route, especially around the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
HS2 (High Speed 2) is expected to cost upwards of £100,000,000,000 at the end of it all, which is money desperately needed to restore usable rail links in the north and west of England in particular, not to mention plug gaps in other transport funding at a time when bus services are disappearing fast from rural areas. In the 10-20 years it will take to fully complete the HS2 project, technology and other railway developments will have made it obsolete and the minor journey reduction times will have been achieved on already extant railway lines, meaning that money will have just been wasted. HS2 will add only two new stations to Britain's railway network, neither of which are necessary, when similar investment will ensure many disused railway stations lost to the Beeching Axe could be reopened/rebuilt and run a viable and useful service, including along the often mentioned line to Blyth in Northumberland, the Ivanhoe Line through Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, at Wisbech,and at Tavistock.
HS2 will also draw more and more people to London, countering its purpose of better connecting the Midlands and North of England.
In summary, the HS2 project will be the biggest white elephant in British transport history.
HS2 (High Speed 2) is expected to cost upwards of £100,000,000,000 at the end of it all, which is money desperately needed to restore usable rail links in the north and west of England in particular, not to mention plug gaps in other transport funding at a time when bus services are disappearing fast from rural areas. In the 10-20 years it will take to fully complete the HS2 project, technology and other railway developments will have made it obsolete and the minor journey reduction times will have been achieved on already extant railway lines, meaning that money will have just been wasted. HS2 will add only two new stations to Britain's railway network, neither of which are necessary, when similar investment will ensure many disused railway stations lost to the Beeching Axe could be reopened/rebuilt and run a viable and useful service, including along the often mentioned line to Blyth in Northumberland, the Ivanhoe Line through Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, at Wisbech,and at Tavistock.
HS2 will also draw more and more people to London, countering its purpose of better connecting the Midlands and North of England.
In summary, the HS2 project will be the biggest white elephant in British transport history.
Comments
Post a Comment