HS2
|
What
the government says:
HS2, THE NEW NORTH-SOUTH LINE,
WILL REVITALISE OUR RAIL NETWORK BY... (more)
- Boosting Britain’s
intercity and commuter rail capacity, easing congestion
on the roads and cutting overcrowding on the railways
- Revolutionising Britain’s
connectivity, radically cutting journey times between
our major cities
- Re-drawing Britain’s
economic geography, bringing our cities closer together
and rebalancing growth and opportunities
- Helping drive city-centre
regeneration and major development schemes
- Underpinning economic growth
and the delivery of up to 400,000 jobs
|
What
other people say: (more) |
For:
It will help bridge the north-south divide
The government says it expects
70% of jobs created to be outside London. A government-commissioned
report by suggests that the Midlands and north
will benefit more than the capital.
|
Counter-argument:
Academics disagree over whether
high-speed rail helps or hinders deprived regions.
An ingenious suggestion is to
reverse
the construction phases. Begin with the V-shaped
line linking Manchester and Leeds with Birmingham.
London to Birmingham could be added later. It would
give the north a head start. |
Against:
There's no idea what the final bill will be
HS2 was originally priced at
£32.7bn. Then £42.6bn. Rolling stock is
expected to
cost another £7.5bn.
It has been suggested the
cost could rise to £80bn. Some Treasury
officials are using the figure of £73bn - by
adding VAT and inflation over the 20 year project.
|
Counter-argument:
Government investment in capital
projects is £50bn a year, and the current estimate
is spread over 20 years, and so isn’t that huge
a part of normal spending.
|
For:
It will boost the UK economy
It is claimed HS2 will generate
22,000
construction jobs in the next five years and once
the entire line is running create
100,000 jobs.
In 2012, the government said
that the benefit cost ratio (BCR) for phase 1 was
estimated at 1.4.
Once it becomes the full Y-shaped
network it rises
to 1.9. This means for every pound spent £1.90
is generated. |
However:
An alternative scheme of patching
up the line would offer a better return on investment,
according to a report produced for the government
last year, offering the taxpayer a return of £6.06
for every pound invested. |
| Against:
The demolition of homes and damage to rural England
is too costly and disruptive
More than 600 homes will be bulldozed and infrastructure
supporting the line will be built on 250 acres of
green belt land. Sites of special scientific interest
will be sliced through by the line.
|
Counter-argument:
Around 22.5 miles (36km) of
the phase 1 route will now be completely enclosed
in tunnel. That is 18% of the 140 miles of rail from
London to Birmingham. |
For:
It will be good for the environment
The government claims that HS2
will move millions of air and road trips on to rail.
It will open up space on the
existing rail network for freight, taking hundreds
of HGVs per hour off the roads. |
Counter-argument:
Few high-speed train passengers
will transfer from air. Research suggests that most
users would otherwise have taken conventional train
services or simply not have made the trip.
HS2 may also encourage Birmingham
to London commuting.
And it is claimed that HS2's
250mph trains will use 50% more energy than the Eurostar
trains. |
| Against:
There are better value projects the UK could spend the
money on
New Economics Foundation says the government has
failed to compare the impact of HS2 against spending
the money on other projects.
|
Counter-argument:
Supporters say it's not an either
or situation. |
| For:
The West Coast Main Line will be full by 2024 |
Counter-argument:
Question marks hang over passenger
demand.
|
| Against:
Euston is not where the logjam is
Waterloo, Paddington, London Bridge and Liverpool
Street are all far
busier London stations than Euston, according
to Network Rail figures.
|
Counter-argument:
Network Rail says a separate
fast long-distance line will free up space for the
majority of other, slow stopping (commuter) services
on the existing lines.
Until a draft timetable is released,
no-one
knows quite what the impact of HS2 will be on
capacity.
|
| For:
You can't boost capacity on WCML with clever tweaks
and upgrades to existing lines
The last upgrade of the line,
completed five years ago, cost £10bn, Andrew
Adonis says. "It entailed a decade of constant
disruption to passengers and freight, and it delivered
only a fraction of the capacity and connectivity of
HS2."
HS2 will increase capacity
from London to Birmingham by 143%, while enhancements
to the existing railway would increase capacity by
just 53% (DfT)
|
Counter-argument:
A report suggested that an alternative
proposal to HS2 would
be a cheaper way of increasing long-distance capacity
on the West Coast Main line. |
Against:
High-speed is not necessary on a new line
HS2
will come in at £121m per mile, double that
of Germany's Frankfurt to Cologne line. Make a new
line, but not a new high-speed line.
|
Counter-argument:
The DfT says "The benefit-cost
ratio of building a high-speed railway rather than
a conventional speed railway is … around 4 to
1." |
For:
Like the Olympics it will boost national pride and give
the country a long-term national asset
|
Counter-argument:
HS2 is four times the cost of
the Olympics, and could easily become an expensive
white elephant. |
Against:
The UK is embracing 20th Century technology just as
the rest of the world turns its back on high-speed
rail
Commentators argue that high
speed rail is 20th Century technology. Video conferencing,
apps
like Hailo, and Google's driverless cars are a
cheaper and more up-to-date model for doing business
and getting around. |