High-speed rail links
The romance of trains . . . a long running national joke . . . an even longer running national gripe. These strident feelings we have for our trains generally inhibit our national debate on the subject. And yet we seem to be inching towards an agreement on the next generation of rail travel with discussion and proposals for a High Speed 2 link from North to South. With the Midlands well placed to benefit.
We can’t get carried away. There’s a long way to go with the idea with further proposals to come, then planning, then permissions, then etc. etc. . . dare we say from conception to a delayed reaction? But the prospects are promising.
The arguments have largely been aired. The capacity issues we need to face with in a decade or so with the existing rail infrastructure compel us to begin to address the challenge now.
The environment is a handy argument to use in the current climate (excuse us again). It may be something of a distraction, though. The environment is important, but the environmental impact of a new high-speed line is far from clear. It will probably mean more journeys – and in that lies something more of the rationale for the line. The history of transport has been one of more journeys when new developments happen – bringing social and economic benefits with that.
The obsession with London is painful in the discussions about the possible line. Sure, all of the cities on the new line will have quicker links to London – but they will also have quicker links to each other too. A journey time of around 30 minutes between Birmingham and Manchester, for instance. What are the implications of that for the two cities? Can they become a more powerful economic powerhouse joined together and provide the geographic and sectored diversity our economy greatly needs? And then there are the links into Europe through high-speed rail.
But what is not being well considered in the public debates about high-speed rail is what will a new line mean for the region beyond Birmingham? We can see the argument both ways – positive or negative. It may be an opportunity to move investment into the wider region and, for example, build a habitable place for people who wish to use the high-speed train. Or a link could mean that Birmingham builds a stronger economic centre but that others beyond that do not benefit.
If a high-speed rail link is coming it could be here in about 10 years. But now is the time to start to think and debate and plan for the implications for the whole region of its arrival. Are we as a region jumping on board or sitting in the waiting room?
We can’t get carried away. There’s a long way to go with the idea with further proposals to come, then planning, then permissions, then etc. etc. . . dare we say from conception to a delayed reaction? But the prospects are promising.
The arguments have largely been aired. The capacity issues we need to face with in a decade or so with the existing rail infrastructure compel us to begin to address the challenge now.
The environment is a handy argument to use in the current climate (excuse us again). It may be something of a distraction, though. The environment is important, but the environmental impact of a new high-speed line is far from clear. It will probably mean more journeys – and in that lies something more of the rationale for the line. The history of transport has been one of more journeys when new developments happen – bringing social and economic benefits with that.
The obsession with London is painful in the discussions about the possible line. Sure, all of the cities on the new line will have quicker links to London – but they will also have quicker links to each other too. A journey time of around 30 minutes between Birmingham and Manchester, for instance. What are the implications of that for the two cities? Can they become a more powerful economic powerhouse joined together and provide the geographic and sectored diversity our economy greatly needs? And then there are the links into Europe through high-speed rail.
But what is not being well considered in the public debates about high-speed rail is what will a new line mean for the region beyond Birmingham? We can see the argument both ways – positive or negative. It may be an opportunity to move investment into the wider region and, for example, build a habitable place for people who wish to use the high-speed train. Or a link could mean that Birmingham builds a stronger economic centre but that others beyond that do not benefit.
If a high-speed rail link is coming it could be here in about 10 years. But now is the time to start to think and debate and plan for the implications for the whole region of its arrival. Are we as a region jumping on board or sitting in the waiting room?
