28 January 2013
HS2: the hard-up many will pay for the fortunate few.
That’s the reaction from St Helens Green Party after the government today unveiled further details of its proposed £32billion high-speed rail (HS2) network.
HS2 would reduce journey times between London and Birmingham by 25 minutes from the year 2026. By 2033, a second phase could extend north to Manchester and Leeds.
The plans were originally put forward by the previous government and are supported by many Labour councils, including St Helens. But the Greens believe that authorities in the North West should oppose the proposals and lobby instead for decent public transport investment here and now.
St Helens Green Party's Francis Williams explains:
“The government is gambling with taxpayers’ money to build a fast train for fat cats. It’s another case of public loss, private gain.
“It will cost on average £51million from every parliamentary constituency for this high speed link. That’s over £100million from St Helens taxpayers or the equivalent of £1,500 per household – money that could be spent on improving our public transport here and now, not wasted on vanity projects and vague promises of economic growth in 30 years time.
“Can hard-pressed people in St Helens really afford to be forking out a small fortune so that a private train company can help a few businessmen shave a few minutes off their journey?
“Studies of high speed rail links in other countries demonstrate time after time that the richest areas benefit most. HS2 will see three times as many people making return journeys from the capital than to it, meaning that more business will be sucked into the south-east.
“And even if the line does eventually reach Manchester, then that’s where north-west businesses and jobs will head for – if they haven’t already gone south.
“Improving rail links between the north’s business communities, towns and villages is a far more effective way of boosting our economy. The 200 mile train journey from St Helens Central to London Euston currently takes about 2 hours 50 minutes, yet it can take almost as long to get to Sheffield or Leeds!”
St Helens Green Party also points out that HS2 trains will burn 50% more energy mile-for-mile than the Eurostar, produce more than twice the emissions of an intercity train and the track’s proposed 72 metre ‘no-vegetation zone’ means an area the size of Manchester will disappear under concrete.
Francis Williams adds:
“It’s hard to imagine a more environmentally damaging public transport scheme. HS2 will be environmentally damaging in its construction, its operation and its ongoing maintenance. Vast swathes of countryside will disappear under concrete - except in certain Tory constituencies where expensive tunnels will be built at our expense.
"HS2 will be fuel and carbon hungry and also socially regressive, with the hard-up many paying for the fortunate few. It is no substitute for comprehensive regional investment and national sustainable transport strategies.”
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