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Cautious Parliamentary Committee report states the case for High Speed 2


There is a "good case" for a new high speed rail network linking London with major cities in the north of England and Scotland via Birmingham, an influential committee of MPs has said.

In its report of the inquiry into the Government's proposals for a second high speed rail network (HS2), the Transport Select Committee said that a new network would provide a "step change in the capacity, quality and reliability and frequency" of rail services between the UK's largest cities.

However infrastructure expert Patrick Twist of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said that the "cautious" report managed to avoid the "more controversial" issues that the project has raised.

"This no doubt reflects the need to accommodate different views of the members and their sensitivity to the strong views expressed by both the pro- and anti- lobbies," he said.

"They recognise that the alternative proposals for improving the West Coast Main Line might prove inadequate, but cannot quite bring themselves to say that they would do so. However, they do state quite clearly that alternative proposals would not provide the step change which HS2 does."

However, the Committee was very clear on its support for the strategic case for HS2, Twist said.

"The Committee supports a high speed rail network as part of a comprehensive transport strategy which, in their view, includes the classic rail network, roads, aviation and shipping. They recognise in particular that HS2 could provide the improvements in connectivity for inter-urban travel and enhanced capacity which the Department for Transport's consultation has identified," he said.

The committee said that investment in the HS2 project must not be allowed to reduce investment in the 'classic' rail network.

"We are concerned that the Government is developing separate strategies for rail and aviation, with HS2 separate from both," it said.

In its recent public consultation (25-page / 3MB PDF) the Government set out its preferred route for a new high speed rail network, which would consist of an initial line from London to the West Midlands. An onward 'y network' connecting the line to Manchester and Leeds, as well as a 'spur' to Heathrow Airport, would be built as part of the second phase of the scheme.

The full network will cost around £32 billion to construct, but will create "unprecedented" passenger capacity increases and reduce journey times. Trains capable of reaching speeds of 225 miles per hour would allow a journey time between Birmingham and London of 49 minutes.

The transport committee expressed its concern that high speed rail lines would not reach Manchester and Leeds for more than 20 years under the current plans. It added that the Government must commit to the second phase of the project before seeking parliamentary approval for HS2. This should include confirming the commitment in any legislation enacted to carry out the first phase of the project, it said.

"[T]he Government should include a purpose clause in the hybrid bill authorising the construction of the HS2 line from London to the West Midlands, which provides statutory force to its commitment to continue the high-speed rail network at least as far as Manchester and Leeds. We recognise that this would not bind a future Government but it might provide greater clarity and momentum," the report said.

Last week Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle outlined an alternative route for the proposed network, which would follow the M40 and Chiltern line in parts. Eagle said that this route would "make better use of existing transport corridors" and avoid "an area of outstanding natural beauty".

This new route would also have the benefit of providing a direct link to Heathrow Airport during the first phase of the project, she said. Under the Government's proposals, a spur or loop that would connect the high speed line to Heathrow would not be provided until 2032 at the earliest.

In its report, the committee recommended that the Government carry out further analysis of the costs and benefits of routing HS2 via Heathrow.

"We are concerned that a Heathrow spur or loop, in addition to a main HS2 line, may prove more costly than a single line via Heathrow... We recommend that the Government set out more clearly for comparison the costs and benefits of routing HS2 via Heathrow so that there can be a better understanding of the pros and cons of different options... It is unacceptable for debate on such major decisions to be conducted through a series of nods and winks in the press," the report said.

Infrastructure law expert Twist said that the report would "give pointers" to the Transport Secretary, who is due to publish a response to the public consultation before Christmas.

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