Government needs to get HS2 back on track
LEADERS CALL ON ELECTION WINNERS FOR PLEDGE
WHOEVER wins the December 12 General Election must come out clearly in favour of building the HS2 high-speed rail line, leaders across the North have insisted.
They spoke out after it emerged a review into the rail network commissioned by Boris Johnson had concluded it should go ahead.
A panel chaired by Douglas Oakervee, the former HS2 chairman, found the cost of HS2 was likely to exceed £88billion, but the line would benefit the North and Midlands and should be built in full. The findings have not been officially published but were leaked to The Times newspaper.
Catherine McKinnell, the Labour candidate for Newcastle North, said: “HS2 could be hugely beneficial to the North East’s economy as we clearly need the additional capacity it will bring, but it will only deliver if it comes with urgent investment to deal with our already congested single track between Newcastle and York.
“Anyone who uses this line regularly will tell you it is seriously struggling to meet current demand. Without this investment, our rail service will simply not be fit for the future.”
And Henri Murison, director of think tank the Northern Powerhouse Partnership said: “The Northern Powerhouse Independent Review on HS2 said that there were no identified credible alternatives to HS2 in order to deliver the same capacity, and that it has the potential to unlock greater growth in North and Midlands. It is welcome that their recommendations are mirrored by the governments own Oakervee Review.”
“As we await the three major party manifestos, the case has been made for building Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2 together all the way has never been stronger. Now Oakervee recommendations are being debated in public, the time for being equivocal on this issue has run out. Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat candidates in the North are committing to back the Connecting Britain campaign of business and civic leaders. All their leaders must unequivocally do the same.”
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “We welcome this apparent acknowledgement that HS2 will boost the North and begin to level-up decades of under investment in our regions.
“But we still don’t expect the Oakervee review’s final report until later this autumn and so in the meantime we will continue to present the case that HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail need to be delivered together, in full.”
Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Lead, said: “By delivering HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail we will transform towns and cities across the North, helping to attract investment and provide good quality jobs for decades to come.
“A green light on HS2 in full, together with NPR, would be a clear signal from any future government that it recognises the historic underinvestment in transport infrastructure outside London.”
The inquiry is said to have concluded that HS2 will benefit cities in the North and Midlands more than London. The journey from Leeds to Birmingham will be more than halved, from about 2 hours to 45 minutes, an hour will be cut from the journey time from Newcastle to Birmingham, taking it to 1 hour 57 minutes.
Opponents of the HS2 line said the inquiry was a whitewash. Penny Gaines, chair of Stop HS2, said: “It comes as no surprise that the former chair of HS2 Ltd, still thinks HS2 is a good idea, in spite of the massive cost increase and years of extra delays.”