Isra-Mart srl:Green signal for high-speed rail consultation

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The Department for Transport has today launched the consultation exercise on its proposals for a £32bn high-speed rail network, predicting the controversial project will deliver £44bn of economic benefits over the next 60 years.

Transport minister Philip Hammond this morning unveiled the consultation on the initial 140-mile High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) route between London and Birmingham, urging businesses and interested parties to contribute to the debate on whether the UK needs a high-speed rail network.

The proposed connection with the Midlands is set to cost £17bn, slashing journey times between London and Birmingham to less than 50 minutes. Plans unveiled in December propose that the next stage of the project will continue via two branches through Manchester and Leeds to Scotland, as well as link with Heathrow and the HS1 route, which connects London and the Channel Tunnel.

Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the government hopes construction work would begin around 2015, with the line to the West Midlands completed by 2026 and the legs to Manchester and Leeds finished in 2032-2033.

The government is keen to pursue its flagship transport policy and has been touting both the economic and environmental benefits of the project, arguing that it expects the network to shift as many as six million air trips and nine million road trips a year onto the new rail network.

But the proposed route would see 250mph trains dissecting the picturesque Chilterns, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), up to 14 times an hour – a prospect which has been met with uproar by residents and their primarily Conservative MPs.

The government has said the track passing through the Chilterns would be housed in tunnels, cuttings or run alongside the A413 main road for all but 1.2 miles and has promised a full Environmental Impact Assessment if the project moves forward.

Hammond also pointed to predicted economic benefits of around £44bn and fare revenues of around £27bn over a 60-year period, calling for the public to back the scheme in the "national interest".

"High-speed rail offers us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the way we travel in the 21st century and would help us build a modern economy fit for the future," Hammond said. "Countries across Europe and Asia are already pressing ahead with ambitious plans for high-speed rail, while some of our key rail arteries are getting ever closer to capacity. We cannot afford to be left behind – investing in high-speed rail now is vital to the prosperity of future generations.

"Of course we will do everything we can to mitigate the impacts on areas like the Chilterns, but projects like this have to be decided on the basis of the national interest and the overall net benefits it will bring to Britain."

But campaigners near the proposed route remain unconvinced, labelling the scheme a "multi-billion pound white elephant" and calling into question government claims that the project will create 40,000 new jobs.

Environmental groups are also cautious about the proposals, generally supporting the concept of increased investment in high-speed rail, but warning it could distract from more urgent public transport upgrades.

Richard Hebditch, campaigns director at Campaign for Better Transport, warned the government may lose sight of the need to improve the whole rail network amid the battle to push through HS2.

"We're very worried that ministers will need to cut budgets elsewhere to pay for high-speed rail," Hebditch said. "That could mean even steeper fare rises and cuts in local rail services in order to pay for it. And the best way for rail to offer a greener alternative is to electrify much more of the network but plans for electrification could be put back as high-speed rail eats up all the funding."