Posted 25th November 2013 | 8 Comments
Main HS2 legislation begins its journey
THE main legislative framework which would allow High Speed 2 to be built, forming Britain's first domestic high speed railway, begins its controversial journey through Parliament today.
The start of this progress is being accompanied by a chorus of renewed protests from opponents, which is being met by vigorous justification for the £50 billion project from its supporters. The outline budget includes a contingency margin of more than £14 billion.
Some of the opponents will be protesting outside the Houses of Parliament, while inside the House of Commons MPs will start to formally consider the implications of the HS2 hybrid Bill.
The coalition Government has placed itself firmly behind the project, while after some weeks of apparent indecision Labour has now said that it supports the plan to build a new railway linking London, Birmingham, Manchester, the East Midlands, Sheffield and Leeds.
If the plans for HS2 go ahead as predicted, the first section between London and Birmingham will open in 2026, while the spurs from there to Manchester and Leeds would follow in 2033.
The Bill being launched today is effectively the planning application for the scheme, and will give the Government the powers to construct and operate the railway. It will also give those affected by the opportunity to petition Parliament, both for and against the proposals, and have their case heard by a committee of MPs.
Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “HS2 is the most ambitious and important infrastructure project in the UK since we built the M25 30 years ago, and in 30 more it will be just as integral a part of the nation’s prosperity.
“The Bill will give us the powers we need to get the railway built and start delivering the extra room on our railways that this country so desperately needs. It will also start the process of rebalancing the economy and bringing our great cities closer together.
“That is why the Bill is so important – it marks the move from aspiration to delivery. Now is the time to be bold and ensure HS2 becomes a reality.”
Labour, too, has moved to make its position on HS2 clear. Shadow transport secretary Mary Creagh said: “Labour supports HS2 because we must address the capacity problems that mean thousands of commuters face cramped, miserable journeys into Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and London. However, three years of Government delays and mismanagement has caused costs to balloon. Incompetent Ministers have only just launched the consultation on Phase 2 of the route, despite the fact that it was being worked on when Labour were in Government.
"Our message to David Cameron is clear. Get a grip on this project, get control of the budget and get it back on track."
Opponents of the scheme are travelling by coach to stage a demonstration in Westminster. Stop HS2 spokesman Joe Rukin has attacked the project's supporters, saying: "With the widespread criticism of HS2 from independent bodies, it is quite depressing that MPs and Lords speaking for the project recently are so ill-informed and unwilling to listen to the exceptionally sound arguments which make it clear HS2 should not go ahead.
"People from up and down the HS2 route will descend on to Parliament, not to say they don’t want HS2 to come near their homes, but to say that they have studied the plans and justifications for HS2 and that it should be scrapped completely. It is sad that people in affected communities know more about HS2 than the majority of Parliamentarians know more about what HS2 means, and we hope to change that."
However, the project has also attracted widespread support. This includes many voices in favour from the business community and local government in the regions which would be served by high speed rail. The CBI's chief policy director Katja Hall said: “This Bill is a key milestone in delivering an important piece of national infrastructure investment.
“HS2 will tackle the looming capacity crunch on the West Coast Main Line, connect some of our biggest cities and bring significant economic benefits. We would urge politicians on both sides of the House to back this important project."
The CBI's stance is being echoed by many others. Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Real progress is being made and this is an exciting time for our region. The West Midlands is at the heart of the high speed rail network and the latest economic research reveals we stand to benefit the most. We are determined to ensure we deliver the maximum benefits from the line, not just for Birmingham itself but for the whole of the city region.”
The Rail Delivery Group added: "Through the hard times and the good, demand for rail travel has boomed, and it continues to rise. By 2020, a further 400 million journeys will be made annually. There is a capacity challenge not just on the West Coast Main Line, but on the railway more generally. That is why we must plan for a network which can move more people and freight across the country safely, reliably and efficiently.”
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Chris Neville-Smith, Durham
Tony Pearce, the demo turnout isn't everything, but the three-figure turnout is a significant setback. With Labour's support for HS2 being wobbly and the odds being in favour of a Labour government in 2015, a turnout of thousands or tens of thousands could easily have given the message that HS2 is a vote-loser and cause Labour to lose their nerve. With antis banging on only a few months ago that Labour was about to do a U-turn, I don't buy the excuse that no-one turned up because they thought there was no point. (Groups like the National Trust are a different matter, but we'll find out about those in due course. I'm thoroughly calling the bluff on this threat of an army of Swampys though.)
James, Beeston, the GCR idea has been raised repeatedly and debunked repeatedly. Go back though the Railnews blog and you'll see what the problem is.
James, Breaston
Just a thought....
The track bed of the Great Central MainLine from Aylesbury to Rugby is still intact. By re-opening this and widening the WCML from Rugby to Birmingham it would provide a High speed line from London Marylebone to Birmingham.
The GCML was originally built to high speed standards so bu re-introducing it along that section it would save Billions of pounds from the initial desighn and build budget.
Also it would disrupt less than 30 homes and businesses. I know this because i've checked.
If this was done and then the old Midland line from Derby to Manchester was re-opened (and electrified) by making the line from Birmingham to Derby suitable for High Speed travel again Millions (if not Billions of pounds could be saved from the budget)
Then, if the first electrified mainline in the UK, The Woodhead route was re-laid it would create a High Speed 'loop' around the UK. Originalting from London Marylebone to Birmingham. Then up to Manchester, across Woodhead and back down the ECML to London Kings Cross.
A plan that would save Billions of pounds, Create jobs, ease traffic on major roads and create very little disruption to people or wildlife. But like I said, it's just a thought.
Tony Pearce, Reading
Regarding protestors, I'm sure that no-one thinks that waving flags or banners achieves anything these days. Maybe a little TV coverage but nothing real. Anyone who opposes the Bill will have to do so by argument in the Press, writing to their MP or taking legal action. If construction starts you may have some young protesters using 'direct action'. It could be disreputive but I preseume the Police are already infiltrating any group who might look like causing trouble. But in the meantime a lot of big groups are affected by the line with big resources (eg The National Trust). They will definitely be looking for more tunnels and lines in cuttings with protection against noise. Thats probably where most of the opposition to the Bill will be found, and may well have to be bought off.
Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
After wasting a fortune (some if it Council Taxpayers money!) on court cases Demanding Environmental Statement they now complain about its size well surely you would complain if it failed to include anywhere on the route !
As for only 200 protesters well fact is antis have worked on "who you know basis!" with often yesterday people writing articles for newspapers whose readers would be better served by articles by lord Adonis or leading railway magazine writers both pro and anti !
News in tonight's London Evening Standard of plan by Mayor Boris to develop a multi billion project for Old Oak Common similar to Olympic Park and Kings Cross railway lands development . Perhaps box for HS2 station at Old Oak Common should be built alongside new Crossrail Station at same time as happened with Thameslink box at St Pancras when HS1 was built ?
Chris Neville-Smith, Durham, England
Okay, I have begun trawling my way through the documents, and started with Euston. And I have to say I'm slightly concerned about this. I'm sure Network Rail know what they're doing, but I wish they'd state how this is going to work.
Under the plans, out of 18 platforms, three will go towards space for HS2 platforms, and four platforms will be merged into two, presumably because Network Rail have decided that it's better to have two long platforms than four short ones. Once HS2 is up and running, bearing in mind that some services to the north will be diverted via HS2, 13 platforms seems a plausible number to manage to non-HS services.
What I'm not entirely convinced about is whether 13 platforms will be enough to maintain existing services before 2026. I've noted that the plans deliberately reconfigure the classic platforms before building on the HS annex starts, so presumably this is part of the plan. The environmental state also seems to imply that this was the easiest option for maintaining classic services (the original rebuild idea was thought to be difficult, the double-deck options were thought to be near-impossible) - but it doesn't unambiguously state that. Other possibility is that Network Rail seems to be getting more optimistic about how much train capacity it can squeeze out of platform occupancy by reducing turnaround times.
But we could really do with some clarification from Network Rail here. I appreciate there's going to be a trade-off between short-term problems and long-term problems, but I'd want to know what the short-term problems are.
Pete, Manchester
Those opposed to Hs2 said that there would be 100,000 protestors in Central London today.
There were, in fact 200.
The London commetariat have banged on endlessly about how terrible this project would be and how so many are vehemently opposed to it. Now that we have seen the true strength of feeling on such a key day, can we please just crack on and start building it (both phases) without any more delay.
London needs CrossRail 2, but can the rest of us have Hs2 first?
John Gilbert, Cradley, Herefordshire
I think that, for me, the chief depressing thought about the anti-HS2 furore is the fact that it provides confirmation, if any were needed, that we in the UK have a very vociferous minority which is against ANY new development, (oh,for the greater good of the UK naturally!!) One can think back to the Luddites as being an earlier example of this national tendency, and meditate on the fact that, were this minority to have won the relevant battle in even more distant times, we would still be going around painted in blue woad and living in caves! It can be summed up by the fact that in France people rioted in Amiens because the high-speed railway was NOT going to pass near their city, whereas in Kent the protests were AGAINST HS1. Good old Brits - stuck in the past as usual!
Tony Pearce, Reading
Allegedly 50,000 pages of detail delivered to anyone living near the line !!! The main problem will be the number of amendments to the Bill, and the discussion that follows. It could well be 100s if not 1000s. The amount of time spent on these could well exceed the time available. If so the Government will either stop all further debate or risk having the Bill totally lost if the General Election happens before all stages are complete. Upto this point the debate has been play-fighting. Whats said in debate and committee stages, (and the House of Lords) from now on is the 'real' thing.