All aboard for the many, not the few
AS the debate over HS2 continues to rage – and I am for scrapping it as an expensive white elephant – traffic gets worse.
London has its problems with the M25, average speeds dropping year on year.
But Midlanders also suffer with the M5 and M6 in particular, not forgetting the M42 carrying heavier traffic loads.
This summer has been a particularly bad year for the M5 as holidaymakers made their way to the south coast, the South
West and South Wales. At times, it has been taking three hours to drive the 70 miles between
Bristol and Exeter.
With more vehicles being licensed and taxed, you would think government would plough more back into keeping traffic moving. Sadly, this is not the case though sections of so-called “smart” motorway have helped.
Now there is much talk about getting diesels off the road in favour of electric cars, although I cannot see that happening in the timescale proposed. That will not help traffic density.
So, the only realistic answer is much better use of the existing rail system and the reopening of long closed lines, especially to the holiday destinations.
Many families drive to the resorts, park their cars and spend most of the time on the beach or at nearby attractions. Properly organised public transport would remove the need for having a car and tick all the “green” boxes.
Sixty years ago, during the summer, there would be a 15coach train running every five minutes up and down the Lickey Bank crammed full of holidaymakers off to the resorts of the West Country and Wales. Today, there are relatively few, and there is plenty of existing capacity to spare. With modern “moving block” signalling, far more trains could be accommodated.
If government is really serious about improving air quality, then cash should be ploughed into the existing rail system to improve capacity and quality of travel.
Such money invested would have a far greater chance of turning a profit than HS2 will ever do.
It’s just a question of priorities: serve the many or the few.