HS2 Updates and News
The Exceptional Hardship Scheme opened for applications on August 20th 2010. This only applies to the Preferred Route – Route 3, and has only marginal improvements over the original scheme.
This has generated a great deal of media coverage – a summary is being prepared.
July 27th – The Chiltern Society are planning a sponsored walk on September 11th between Amersham and Great Missenden to raise funds to fight HS2
http://www.chilternsociety.org.uk/hs2/sept2010-sponsored-walk.php
July 21st – Breaking News: David Lidington has finally gone public over HS2 and says he will vote against the proposals even if it means losing his ministerial position – maybe the letters and pressure from constituents has worked!
http://www.bucksherald.co.uk/17532/Minister-Lidington-pledges-to-defy.6431082.jp
The Bucks Herald also ran an editorial supporting the case against HS2:
http://www.bucksherald.co.uk/voiceofthepaper/Time-for-the-Government-to.6431166.jp
July 21st – The Mahwhinney report into the concept of a direct link between HS2 and Heathrow has just been published.
There are a total of 14 recommendations, most notable, perhaps, that he sees no immediate case for a direct link to Heathrow, but rather that engineering works should be staged such that a direct loop can be implemented in the future as and when the case becomes justified. Mahwhinney also refers to a lower-cost HSR at £6 billion, which he suggests the Government should investigate further.
The full implications of this report are not yet known, however it should be assumed that the current scenario of a preferred route (3) and a preferred alternative route (2.5) remains until the Government says otherwise.
Mawhinney Report Press Release
Mahwhinney-High Speed to Heathrow
Note: Full details of the report and appendices can be found at the DfT site:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/highspeedrail/lordmawhinneyreport/
July 20th – An HS2 flyer has been sent to all Members of Parliament by the Chiltern Conservation Board, in an attempt to broaden support against the current HS2 plans across the country. HS2 Leaflet To MPs
An excellent paper has been published by the High Speed 2 Action Alliance setting out the flaws in the business case and outlining alternative solutions to demand. This is a key document and can be accessed here.
A reply has been received from Hs2 Ltd via David Lidington, stating that they have not been carrying out survey work recently in the Hughenden Valley area. HS2 Letter to Lidington
Supporting the argument that use of the Internet can reduce travel demands, transport minister Norman Baker is quoted in a Daily Telegraph article suggesting that people should work at home instead of travel. Maybe he should talk to Hammond!
July 19th – Public Consultation site changed by the Treasury
For reasons that are not clear, the Treasury has significantly changed the Spending Challenge website which allows members of the public to have their say in how the spending cuts should take place. It is now not possible to search for topics, nor is it possible to comment on ideas put forward by other people, however it is still possible to input ideas, so if you have not already done so, please suggest that the current HS2 plan is not needed, is not affordable, and will not help the environment. The link is shown below:
http://spendingchallenge.hm-treasury.gov.uk/
July 19th – Tory MP for Lichfield calls for HS2 to be scrapped.
It is fortunate that not all Tory MPs along the HS2 route are Cabinet Ministers – Michael Fabricant has gone public with his opposition to the scheme. An article covering this can be seen at: http://thelichfieldblog.co.uk/2010/07/19/lichfield-mp-calls-for-high-speed-rail-line-plan-to-be-scrapped/
July 12th – An article has appeared in the Herald Scotland, highlighting the flaws in the business case as articulated by the HS2AA – http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport-environment/high-speed-rail-link-based-on-over-optimistic-assumptions-1.1040383
July 11th – Public Consultation is now open. As mentioned in the budget and referred to in the Speen Area Public Meeting, the Government is now consulting with the public in advance of the Comprehensive Spending Review. This is a major opportunity to highlight the need to Government to spend money on anything BUT Hs2.
July 7th – Philip Hammond article in the Times – this article shows Hammond’s determination to push ahead with HS2 irrespective of the cost or implications for other transport projects or other departments. This is most likely his attempt to get a head start in the Ministerial fight for funds that is coming up in advance of the CSR review.
The Hammond Times HS2 article July 7th 2010
June 25th – FOI request finally answered.
After much pressure, we have just received data relating to the amount that the Government is currently spending on HS2.
In summary, the Government plan to spend £1.15 billion through to 2015 and £3.4 billion through to 2018. This at a time when swingeing cuts are being made across the board. Full details of the FOI request can be found here (be warned there are some complicated spreadsheets).
Only £15 million has been set aside for the EHS scheme.
Respond to the engagement programme as appropriate, use this as evidence of the sheer waste of money being planned.
June 21st - Philip Hammond has confirmed the flawed logic of the Government concerning rail policy: Announcing the sale of HS1 for an expected £1.5 bn (cost £5bn) he says: “HS1 is a national success story and a world class railway operating to international standards. The money generated by this sale will make an early significant contribution to the crucial task of reducing the public sector debt” Following this logic, HS2 will be sold in 2030 for £3bn, leaving the taxpayer with a £15bn burden. The task of stopping HS2 becomes more important still!!
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23847076-bids-invited-for-high-speed-rail-route.do
June 19th – Mel Foster and Paul Rogerson attended the Bucks CC summit on High Speed 2 on June 18th. Notes from the meeting have been produced: MF-Bucks CC notes
June 19th – The Bucks Free Press have run two articles on the summit:
http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/8228223.Rail_scheme__wouldn_t_make_a/
The Government has today (June 17th) announced another series of spending cuts totalling £2 billion – but of course, work on HS2 is not included.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/politics/10341863.stm
There is a government site where members of the public have been able to comment on transport policy, although this closed on June 10th, there are interesting comments on HS2 the vast majority againt:
http://programmeforgovernment.hmg.gov.uk/transport/
June 11th - Times article expanding on Philip Hammond’s written statement (see below)
June 9th – Adjournment debate concerning HS2 – first official government statement since election.
At an adjournment debate called by Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith, Lab / Co-op) several points were raised and crucially, Therea Villiers made a statement which can be read here:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2010-06-09a.1.0 (note this is available from Hansard but this version is, I think, easier to read)
My view is that this is mixed news, certainly not good news, as the intent appears to press ahead more quickly and more extensively than the current plans drawn up under Labour, with a renewed commitment to a high speed network. The only shaft of light is the commitment to full consultation. I fear they have made their mind up, are not interested in challenging the business case, and will press on regardless.
Ironically, the Minister, Philip Hammond, issued a written statement today announcing that schemes currently under evaluation are being postponed, including consultation processes at the DfT. His statement can be read here: Written Statement by Philip Hammond June 10th 2010.
June 8th - Another analysis of the Business Case has been published by Transport Watch showing that HS2 does not make sense http://www.transport-watch.co.uk/hs2-reports.htm
Paul Rogerson has suggested that we include links to the Bucks Free Press site (in addition to the campaign page) for relevant news items.
The following are recent articles:
The following item appeared at the FT site on June 6th, although at first sight, this doesn’t bring much new information to the table.
Please note that this site is only accessible to registered users, so an extract is available: Radical transport thinking sparks dispute Reference is made to a 2006 transport report which can be accessed here: http://www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/187604/206711/executivesummary.pdf
The following item appeared at the Times Online Saturday 5th – it seems people in London are rather slow to react, but then we are taking about Primrose Hill here.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7144391.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=797084
Lower-cost HS2 alternative being considered.
The following item appeared in the FT (June 2nd) – the source report is being investigated.
A new high-speed railway network that would begin to transform travel in the UK within a decade could be delivered at a cost to the public purse of just £6bn, according to an authoritative study being considered by ministers.
The report puts the cost of the 225mph London to Birmingham service – the first stage of a national high-speed network – at less than half the £15.8bn-£17.4bn price tag placed on the same route by High Speed Two, the company established by the government to bring forward proposals for new rail lines. While the new coalition government has said a domestic high-speed rail network is a priority, progress could be hampered by the dismal public finances and opposition from homeowners along the new routes.
But the study – co-authored by a group that includes the former head of the Audit Commission, Sir Andrew Foster and David Ross, former chairman of National Express – suggests the first stage could be built for a much smaller sum by avoiding city centres, limiting the number of stations and creating a special purpose vehicle to fund the project.
More than half the cost of the £5.8bn Channel Tunnel rail link – the world’s most expensive high-speed project – came from the final approach to central London because of the extensive tunnelling and other engineering works involved.
The new report proposes bypassing Heathrow and linking Birmingham and Manchester airports with Old Oak Common in west London, without venturing into the cities themselves.
Old Oak Common will connect with Heathrow through Crossrail – the £16bn route due to open in 2017 – and will be only two stops from the West End and seven from the City. Connecting Birmingham International to a high-speed rail line fits with the Conservative party’s commitment to allowing regional airports such as Birmingham to soak up any airport growth. The government has recently blocked the development of a third runway at Heathrow, as well as expansion at Stansted and Gatwick.
Funding for the basic infrastructure would be financed largely by government-guaranteed debt, sourced from infrastructure funds, bond investors, banks and multilaterals, the report suggests. This would cost around £6bn according to projections from major construction companies. Train operators would be privately financed.
The cost of procuring railway infrastructure in Britain is as much as three times higher than comparable projects in continental Europe, partly because many products need to be custom built and infrastructure and construction projects face more onerous requirements and regulations at the planning stage.
Transport secretary Philip Hammond said: “It is vital that any new high speed network offers good value for passengers and for taxpayers. We need to look carefully at all the options to achieve this, and this report is a welcome contribution to the debate.”
Plans for a dedicated high-speed rail network to be built independently of Britain’s ageing Victorian rail infrastructure have received widespread support amid an increase in passenger numbers, which have risen 40 per cent in the past five years and freight which has risen 60 per cent – a level higher than at any time since 1946.
Construction could begin as soon as 2015, with 2027 a likely completion date for the first phase. The route would have to undergo a public consultation before going through parliament.