From a Welsh perspective,
the proposals are far from ideal, with a danger that we will be left behind in
a world where reliable high speed surface transport is increasingly seen as the
norm, and preferable to aviation. It’s
time, though, to stop arguing about the detail of HS2 and start the debate
about HS3. Continued argument about HS2
will only further delay the Welsh connection.
HS2 will initially
connect London and Birmingham,
with connections to Manchester and Leeds – and a possible spur to Heathrow – seen as being phase
2 of the scheme. The timescales are
lengthy, and if we wait until HS2 is finished – or even well under way – or if
we try and continue the argument, rather than widening the issue out, we run the
risk not only of further delaying HS3, but also that the ‘competition’ will get
there first.
There are two
obvious candidates for HS3. The first is
to continue HS2 north to Glasgow and Edinburgh, and the second is to build on
westwards from Heathrow to Cardiff and Bristol.
I’d prefer that we
didn’t have to be in competition with our Scots colleagues, but they should gain
significant benefit from HS2. There is
no inherent reason why the rolling stock purchased to run on HS2 cannot
continue over existing rail infrastructure, albeit at slower speed, all the way
to Scotland
once HS2 is completed. This is exactly
the approach taken by the TGV services in France, which serve many more towns
than are actually on high-speed lines, providing direct rather then merely
connecting services. It just requires
foresight and commitment.
We need to make
sure that it’s our turn next. A far
sighted, strategically-thinking Welsh Government would now stop all whingeing
about HS2, and start lobbying and making the case for an early decision on what
follows. And on getting the right
decision.
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3 comments:
HS2 is really about making Birmingham Airport the third runway for Heathrow and I predict that the Heathrow spur will be attached to phase one.
There is no other justification for this first phase unless it is seen in this light, as Little Boris Johnson stated this will be of no economic advantage to the Midlands and simply turn Birmingham into a new dormitory town for the S.E.
John
Here we go again
The world revolves around London
The modus operandi of Rome was that all roads led to Rome hence in Britannia all roads led to London but from there only one road led to Rome
The Railways followed the same philosopy in that they competed with the roads but in London each company had its own Terminus completely separated from the services of its rivals
The problem then was that France was the enemy so services to the south coast were not to be encouraged
You may remember the point that the M4 ends at Pont Abraham so as not to aid the Southern Irish economy
Regretably until we have independence Wales may never see any Electrified rail services let alone High Speed
"From a Welsh perspective... a danger that we will be left behind in a world where reliable high speed surface transport is increasingly seen as the norm.."
Left behind? ...the railway infrastructure in Wales (and most of the UK) is still in the 19th century!
How long did it take the UK government to build the link from the Tunnel to London? The French had completed theirs before the Tunnel was opened.
Even by 2017 (if then) there will only be some 30 miles of electrified main line in the whole of Wales.
The UK has had (and has got) abysmally bad government - and sadly most of us in Wales keep voting for the parties that have let us down so badly.
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