Opinion Polls on HS2

There have been a wide range of polls conducted on HS2 by different organisations. Read our latest review here.

No poll shows a majority in favour of HS2 (though 3 are over 40%). Typically they record one third support, with many showing over 75% against HS2. When set against other priorities for transport expenditure, the support for HS2 is even weaker.

See our adverts posted in the New Statesman, 9 Sept 2011 and in the Spectator on 20 July 2011 showing some of these poll results.

	Date	Question	Response	Result	Voters	Comment
1. Professional polls
PRLog	31 Jan. 2013	Where would you prefer the Government to spend the 32 billion pounds?	NHS Elderly Schools HS2	73% 54% 40% 1%	101 adults	Only 1% for
Ipsos Mori poll for HS2 Action Alliance	16 Nov 2012	Which one of these if any, do you think is the best way of boosting the economy?	Roads Airports Broadband Homes Improve rail High speed rail line	20% 5% 8% 40% 14% 4%	1,442 adults aged 15+	Only 4% for
The AA	8 Aug 2011	Important factors for using HS2 high speed rail	Speed Ticket Price Station Proximity	3% 62% 18%	16,850 members	Just 3% thought faster journeys matter
The AA	Sept 2011	Would you switch to HS2 if it was available for a journey that you used the car for	Yes No Don't know	33% 34% 33%		Only one third would use it (and less in Birmingham)
YouGovStone email survey (for Campaign for HSR) on business support for HS2	Sept 2011	[HS2 scheme description.] Overall is your business in favour, against, undecided	In favour Against Undecided Not for or against	47% 14% 7% 32%	552 businesses (>5 staff)
YouGov Survey (for Taxpayer’s Alliance) on a range of spending cuts	21 June 2011	Cancelling plans to fund a new high speed rail	Support Oppose Don’t know	48% 34% 18%	2732	Only one third support HS2. Less support in North than the South. See Annex A
DfT survey	March 2011	Support HS2	Support Opposed Undecided	47% 9% 44%	2037	Only 53% aware of HS2 (most of whom knew little or not much)
Ipsos Mori Survey (for RAC foundation) on range of transport spending plans	March 2010	Areas of public spending on transport that should be protected from possible cuts	Planning and building a new high speed line	8%	1025	HSR scored lowest. See Annex A
	March 2010	Areas of transport that should be highest priority for Government to deal with	Planning and building a new high speed line	3%	1025	HSR scored lowest. See Annex A
	March 2011	What areas of transport should be highest priority for Government to deal with	Planning and building a new high speed line	4%		One year later, HSR still scored lowest. See Annex A
2. Newspapers/ magazines
Express & Star	12 Feb 2013	Are you in favour of the HS2 high speed rail link proposed between London and Birmingham?	Yes No	39.4% 60.6%		Well over half against
Independent	3 Feb 2013 Ongoing	This is not progressive; this is regressive behaviour by human beings towards the environment upon which we all depend	Strongly agree Agree Don't care Disagree Strongly disagree	110 2 0 1 3	116	95% agree
Independent	4 Feb 2013 ongoing	.. the green credentials for HS2 are examined, they are found wanting	Strongly agree Agree Don't care Disagree Strongly disagree	63 3 1 1 2	70	About 90% agree
Bucks Free Press survey by YouGov	4 Feb 2013	In favour of HS2?	Yes No Scotland: Yes No	41% 43% 38% 49%
Derbyshire Times	4 Feb 2013	Will Chesterfield benefit from HS2?	Yes No	35% 65%		About two thirds think not
Daily Mail	4 Feb 2013ongoing	Will the benefit to the British economy of the HS2 outweigh the loss of great swathes of our countryside?	No Yes	28% 72%		Nearly three quarters think not
Mancunian Matters	2 Feb 2013	do you think Manchester will benefit from anything more than quicker trains to London?	Yes No	42% 58%
Rotherham Advertiser	29 Jan 2013 ongoing	Do you think 250mph link between London and Leeds will benefit the region?	Yes No Maybe	38.4% 45.5% 16.1%		Only 38% in favour
Telegraph	28 January 2013 ongoing	Will HS2 be an engine for prosperity?	Yes No	33% 67%	11,342
Independent	28 Jan 2013 ongoing	HS2 is simply not the best way of spending our scant resources	Strongly agree Agree Don't care Disagree Strongly disagree	60 6 1 1 19	87
Derby Telegraph	28 Jan 2013.	Will HS2 benefit Derby?	Yes No	35% 65%		Over two thirds against
Bucks Free Press	7 Jan 2013	Do you think UKIP will make gains among voters in the Chilterns over High Speed 2 in coming elections?	Yes No Unsure	86% 11% 3%
Spectator 'A recent opinion poll of northern residents by the think tank Policy Exchange'	15 June 2012	Is HS2 a ‘good use of money’	Yes No	30% 53%		Only 30% for
Mirror	11 Jan 2012.	Are you in favour of HS2?	Yes No Don't know	14.25% 83.1% 2.64%		83% against
Telegraph	10 Jan 2012	Will High Speed Rail be good for the country?	Yes No	41.85% 58.15%	7,207	Over 50% against
Guardian, The Northerner Blog	14 July 2011	Do you think the Governments high speed rail link will be good for Yorkshire?	Yes No No feelings	15.4% 80.2% 4.4%		Over 75% don’t believe it’s good for Yorkshire
Hillingdon Council (through Hillingdon People magazine)(freepost cards)	6 July 2011	Should HS2 go ahead in its current form?	No	>90%	Over 10,000	Over 90% against
Evening Standard on line	5 July 2011	Should high speed 2 rail project be scrapped?	Yes No	78% 22%		Over 75% against
Telegraph online	20 June 2011	Should high speed rail go ahead?	Yes No	8.9% 91.1%	6669	Over 90% against
ITV on-line	17 May 2011	Are you in favour of Government’s proposed high speed rail line?	Yes No Not sure	25% 72% 3%	6017	Over 70% against
Birmingham Post on-line	14 April 2011	Are you in favour of Government’s proposed high speed rail line (on line)	Yes No No feelings	31.9% 66.0% 2.1%	617	Two thirds against
3. Specialist organisations
The Engineer	5 Feb 2013	We wondered how well our readers thought that the HS2 organisation was communicating the strategy behind the project	Clear grasp Uncertain No idea what HS2 was up to	48% 28% 24%		Nearly a quarter had no idea what HS2 is up to
Knight Frank HS2 Sentiment Survey	24 May 2012	How would you rate the government's/HS2's communication	Very poor Poor Adequate Good Very good	64% 28% 8% 0% 0%		Zero% thought it was good or very good. See Annex A, item 3 for more detail
ConservativeHome Survey (of party members including MPs/MEPs) on range of Tory issues	25/26 August 2011	Do you back the policy of building High Speed Rail 2 link?	Support Against	43% 56%	1348	Majority against
ConservativeHome Survey (of party members including MPs/MEPs) on top 23 coalition policies	2 July 2011	How do you rate High Speed Rail Policy?	Impressive Disappointed Rating:	29.8% 45.6% -15.8%	1500+	Rating 19th out of 23 coalition policies
Labour Party Transport Policy review (weekly on line poll)	April 2011	Should HS2 be a priority?	Support Against	7% 93%		Over 90% against
rail.co weekly on line poll	6 May 2011	Has the Government done enough to consult the public?	Yes No	35% 65%		Two thirds think not consulted enough
rail.co weekly on line poll	18 March 2011	Should the UK build high speed rail?	Yes No	38% 62%		Nearly two thirds against
Countryfile on line poll	February 2011	Do you think high speed rail should be built?	Yes No	9% 91%	3330	Over 90% against

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Annex A

1. Ipsos MORI poll for RAC Foundation (March 2010 and 2011)

Which one or two, if any, of the following areas of public spending on roads and public
transport do you think should be protected from possible cuts should cuts be necessary?

Transport issues	March 2010
Spending on road and pavement maintenance	70%
Spending to reduce traffic congestion on roads e.g. improving junctions and traffic signalling	38%
Spending to improve bus services	27%
Spending to improve existing train services	22%
Spending to plan and build a new high speed rail line connecting London and Birmingham and eventually Scotland	8%
Don’t know	5%
None of these	1%

Which two or three do you think should be the highest priority for the Government to deal with after the forthcoming general election (March 2010 survey); to be addressing (March 2011 survey)?

Transport issues	March 2010	March 2011
The condition of roads and pavements	58%	44%
The cost of using a car (e.g. petrol prices)	46%	68%
The cost of travelling by train	25 %	32%
The level of congestion on local roads and in towns	24%	24%
Safety for car drivers and other road users	22%	22%
Delays caused by roadworks	19%	21%
The damage to the environment caused by transport of all types	18%	15%
The frequency of local buses	17%	17%
Overcrowding on existing train services	12%	13%
Planning and building a new high speed rail line connecting London and Birmingham and eventually Scotland	3%	4%
Don’t know	2%	nk
Other and None of these	< 0.5 or <1%	nk

2. YouGov poll for Taxpayer’s Alliance

Would you support or cancelling plans to fund a new high speed rail line between London and Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester

Regional breakdown (of responses supporting cancelling HSR plans)	June 2011
Scotland	59%
Midlands and Wales	56%
South	49%
North	43%
London	37%
Overall average	48%

3. Knight Frank HS2 Sentiment Survey, 24 May 2012

How would you rate the government's/HS2's communication on the following aspects of the scheme?	Very poor	Poor	Adequate	Good	Very good
Route	39%	35%	24%	2%	0%
The specific impact on their property	69%	24%	3%	3%	1%
Scheme timetable	37%	35%	26%	1%	1%
Consultation process	67%	19%	13%	1%	0%
Compensation entitlement and procedure	78%	18%	4%	0%	0%
Overall	64%	28%	8%	0%	0%

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Opinion Polls on HS2

1. Professional polls

2. Newspapers/ magazines

3. Specialist organisations

Annex A

1. Ipsos MORI poll for RAC Foundation (March 2010 and 2011)

2. YouGov poll for Taxpayer’s Alliance

3. Knight Frank HS2 Sentiment Survey, 24 May 2012

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