The Anonymous Widower

A Decision Day For HS2?

HS2 is a project that I think will never be built.

I  was listening to the debate on Radio 5 this morning about George Osborne’s £11. 5billion public pending cuts and one guy phoned in to question, why with the obvious need for cuts, we are going to spend £33billion on HS2.

There is so much opposition to HS2 amongst the Nimbys, that I suspect that at some time parliament will chicken out and vote the project down.

I have never heard so much opposition to a project, in my lifetime. But then the general public doesn’t want new railways, they want new roads on which to drive their gas-guzzlers.

I also think HS2 is probably going about things the wrong way, but as to what the right way is, I do not know.

But we do urgently need the following.

1. More capacity on passenger trains from London to Manchester and onwards to Scotland. The case for Birmingham may be less important, especially, if services to Marylebone can be improved.
2. More freight capacity through London and to the North, especially after London Gateway becomes fully operational.
3. A rebuilt and more efficient Euston station.

The freight capacity cannot be increased without creating a substantial new railway.

It will be interesting to see the way that MPs vote.

June 26, 2013 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Freight, High Speed Two, Trains