You can’t adequately replace big project like HS2 by thinking small
HIGH speed trains and long-distance routes go together, in fact one without the other is no use at all. A short route is a waste of speed, only a small amount of time will be saved, as shown by the fact that the designers of the EustonBirmingham section only expected to save about 20 minutes. Only by continuation of the high speed tracks into Lancashire and Yorkshire would there be benefit from the enormous cost of laying new tracks, and presumably with the intention of reducing inland flights and with consequent savings in aviation fuel.
For a variety of reasons it has become evident that the continuation of HS2 beyond Birmingham has become both economically unsound and unwise politically bringing about the recent decision by the prime minister to cut the government’s losses and offer a sop to the cities of Lancashire and Yorkshire which suffer badly in the way of cross-country travel at a time when the whole rail system is outdated in overall design and condition.
Travel challenges of global warming, the re-working of industry generally and the multifarious changes in society and the ways of modern working, often at home, demand good communications and these are no longer to be found in the layout out of the early days of railways.
No longer world-beaters, our railways are ready for re-design and our brightest designers of all kinds need to be brought into play in order to re-vitalise our communications and our economy.
Mr Sunak has apparently realised that the development of HS2 has been a blind alley and he has suggested that the money saved by the cancellation of HS2 should be spent on ‘hundreds of rail projects,’ but this is thinking too small. This is a very big project and requires very big thinking in order to re-set the North for it to stand comparison with the glory days as one of the great workshops of the world.
Rod Slater, Lymm