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Phil says ..... During an HS2 debate on ITV Central West that the West Coast Main Line will be completely overcrowded by 2022 |
We say.... You will see in our 'Network Rail Forecast of WCML Growth' that only about 5% of all services will have passengers standing by 2024! A bit different to Hammond's quote. |
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Phil says ..... Hammond says WCML will be full by 2022 or in 6 to 10 years time |
We say.... he is taking Network Rail's (NR) statement entirely out of context. NR only said this would be the outcome if, and only if, the recent 10%/annum growth on WCML continued. NR will grow at about 2.5%/annum. Which means it will take about 38years to be full! Or if you use DfT's forecast it's more like 47years!!
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Phil says ..... DfT's Business Case must demonstrate projects are value for money – the ‘economic case’; are commercially viable – the ‘commercial case’; and are financially affordable – the ‘financial case’ |
We say.... We look forward to the announcement that HS2 is to be scrapped since it is none of these |
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Phil says .... Britain will be ‘left behind’ without high speed rail |
We say.... Our existing rail network already delivers faster travel between the capital and our top five cities than France, Italy, Germany or Spain |
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Phil says .... HS2 may ‘transform our economic geography’ |
We say.... HS2 disproportionately benefits the rich, with 47% of long distance rail travel made by the most affluent 20% of people. |
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Phil says .... HS2 will help close the north south divide |
We say.... According to the Department for Transport’s own figures 7 out of 10 jobs created will be in London, not exactly solving the north south divide. |
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Phil says .... Opponents to HS2 are all NIMBYs |
We say.... Opponents of HS2 are definitely not NIMBY’s. Opponents include The Taxpayers Alliance, The Adam Smith Institute, The Institute of Economic Affairs, The RAC Foundation, The Green Party, The Friends of the Earth, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England and transport experts such as Christian Wolmar. |
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Phil says .... We need HS2 to increase rail capacity |
We say.... HS2 is a poor solution to our urgent capacity needs. The alternative, Rail Package 2, developed by Atkins for the DfT, delivers a 135% capacity increase much more quickly and cheaply than HS2. It leaves trains less crowded than HS2 (51% instead of 58% load factor). But this option has been buried by the Government. |