July 2008

SPECIAL REPORT

What future for High Speed in Britain?

BRITAIN’S rail system is running out of modernisation of the will capacity. Demand will exceed the network’s have created capacity on the route— capability within 20 years—possibly within 10 including the four-tracking now under way in years—according to all the latest forecasts. And Staffordshire—but Parliament’s Public Accounts these do not take into account higher demand if Committee has warned that the modernised route motoring costs continue to remain rise. could be at full capacity again from as early as Contrary to many earlier reports, neither the 2015. government’s 2007 White Paper on the next 30 The government agrees that in future it would years of the rail system nor Sir Rod Eddington’s be better to build new lines rather than upgrade report in December 2006 on Britain’s transport existing ones. infrastructure ruled out the development of a new “The clear view of railway professionals with north-south high-speed rail line. experience of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and Although the government dropped West Coast Main Line projects is that the consideration of a MAGLEV (magnetic disadvantages of undertaking major new levitation) route—on the grounds that it could construction work alongside a working railway cost around £60 billion—the 2007 White Paper outweigh the advantages. … For this reason the made clear there was a need to start planning Government believes that any future planning ahead of the next ‘high level output should focus on new line options,” said the specification’ (HLOS) in 2012 for the possibility railway White Paper. that demand for rail services accelerates. Meanwhile—encouraged by the industry lobby And the White Paper acknowledged that one of group The Railway Forum—Jim Steer, the the first areas where extra capacity may be strategy director of the former Strategic Rail needed is along the –– Authority, set up an organisation called Manchester corridor. Greengauge 21 to argue the case for a new high- When it is completed at the end of 2008, the speed line.

What next?

A new route, , comprising “a broad organisations. Its work will has been put forward by the coalition of interests”— be coordinated with a New pressure group Greengauge among them, regional Lines Programme, also 21, which is to set up a development agencies, city announced by Network Rail. Public Interest Group councils and rail industry ______

Network Rail boosts British high-speed rail proposals • MPs’ report says ‘capacity problem on the West Coast Main Line is already grave’

PLANS to extend high-speed train services from St Pancras International to the and North — High Speed 2 — have been boosted by Network Rail, which has set up a study to see if new lines can be justified. The results should be known within a year.

Richard Eccles, Network Rail’s Head of Route come from ‘highway decongestion’ resulting Planning, said a ‘new lines programme’ would from the big switch of motorists to high-speed be looking at the East Coast Main Line, Midland trains. Main Line, West Coast Main Line, Chiltern Line and Western Main Line corridors. MPs want early decision The team had been set up by Network Rail to In its latest report, Parliament’s Transport examine what should be done when network Select Committee said the government “needs to capacity runs out in the next 10 – 20 years, he commit to making a decision by 2010 at the told a Railway Forum conference in latest.” Birmingham. The committee’s report — much of it prepared “Our expectation is that the best value for before the death of its former chairman, money will be a high-speed line,” Richard Gwyneth Dunwoody — said “the capacity Eccles said. problem on the West Coast Main Line is already An influential committee of MPs has also grave.” called on the government to make a decision on a The MPs added: “We were therefore concerned new line—at least as far as Birmingham—by that the Department [for Transport] has no time- 2010. frame for a decision on a high speed link, at least And a report for Birmingham City Council has as far as Birmingham, the stretch of the line with forecast that a new 300km/h (186 mph) line the most pressing problems.” would boost the ’ economy by Greengauge 21, the organisation set up by Jim over £6 billion. Steer—who was strategy director at the former This is the first-ever detailed estimate of Strategic Rail Authority—has proposed building economic benefits that high-speed rail services the first stage of a new high-speed line to the would bring to a British city. north. Until now, calls for new high-speed lines have The plan has been welcomed and supported by had to be based on the experience of Lille, the Railway Forum, as well as by Eurostar, northern France, after completion of new lines which saw a 21 per cent rise in passenger from Paris to Brussels and London. numbers — and a 25 per cent increase in revenue The Birmingham study forecasts that by — in the first quarter of 2008, following the building High Speed 2 from the terminus of High opening of last November. Speed 1 at St Pancras—and with a spur line into The ‘candidate route’ suggested by —half of all road trips between Greengauge 21 would run from St Pancras Birmingham, London and Heathrow would towards west London, with a spur line to switch to rail. Heathrow, then the main route would follow the David Bull, Birmingham’s Assistant Director Chiltern line northwards, passing under High (Development Strategy), said that as well as Wycombe and the Chilterns in a tunnel. frequent trains over the new line to London and It would then carry trains — at almost three Heathrow, there would be two international times the maximum legal driving speed — services each hour to destinations such as Paris, alongside the M40 motorway past and Brussels and Amsterdam. before following the Over five million passenger trips a year are towards Tamworth. There it would join the West forecast, said Mr Bull — 3.9 million from Coast Main Line where it is currently being Birmingham, 0.8 million from Birmingham expanded from two to four tracks. International Airport and 0.3 million from A ‘branch line’ would run into Birmingham Heathrow. city centre from , using the former Total economic benefits are expected to be over £6 billion, of which £1 billion alone would 3

Great Western relief lines into Moor Street Journeys between London and the north would station. all be reduced by at least 30 minutes and A new station would be built near Birmingham capacity would also be freed up on the ‘classic’ International Airport and the National Exhibition route via and Rugby for more Centre where HS2 crosses the - commuter, regional passenger and freight Birmingham route, linked to the existing services. Birmingham International station. Journeys on HS2 between London and Based on High Speed 1 the new route— Birmingham would be cut to less than one hour, totalling 150 miles to Birmingham and and the time between Heathrow and Birmingham Tamworth—would cost £11 billion, including a would be only about 45 minutes. 66 per cent overspending allowance, as required Paris and Brussels would both be within three by the Treasury. hours of Birmingham.

* Growth will soon outstrip network capacity

BRITAIN’S rail network is replacement of diesel HSTs), demand to the Midlands and fast filling up, and there are and extra services on both the North, including creating growing concerns about its East Coast and Midland Main economic regeneration in ability to cope with future Lines,” he said. Birmingham and the West demand. Already, long-distance Midlands region. Richard Eccles, Head of passenger-kilometres had Shorter journey times Route Planning at Network grown 65 per cent since 1994 would also make Birmingham Rail, told the Railway Forum said Mr Hayes. International Airport closer that the government’s aim And in only the past three to London than Stansted, he was to carry double years numbers on the West added. passenger and freight Coast route had increased by Atkins’ Michael Hayes said volumes on the present 25 per cent following half of the expected network. “That is a huge introduction of the initial economic benefits from a increase,” he said. “Can you Virgin Pendolino timetable. high-speed line would come imagine Liverpool Street Jim Steer, of Greengauge from journey time reductions. station handling twice as 21—which has proposed The other half would come many people as it does construction of a new high- from relieving pressure on today? It just won’t work.” speed line with a first stage existing routes. Mr Eccles said current north of London to Richard Eccles, of Network forecasts suggested that Birmingham and to the West Rail, said the business case— demand would exceed Coast Main Line near both for building a new line capacity by 2026, only 18 Tamworth—said the and providing capacity on the years away. advantages of the new high- existing infrastructure— But according to Michael frequency Pendolino service should be “compelling”. Hayes, of consultants W S “are not sustainable because For example, Milton Atkins, capacity might be of capacity constraints.” Keynes commuters should reached as soon as 2016. Mr Steer added: “The benefit from a new high- Among long-distance Pendolino service is very speed line because it would routes, the worst problems predictably going to be the free up capacity for were expected to arise south victim of its own success.” additional trains, he pointed of Peterborough on the East But a new high-speed line out. Coast line, and south of would not only create Passengers at other stations Rugby on the West Coast additional capacity but also should also benefit because it line. provide many benefits for would be possible to transfer “We could be back to where passenger and freight passenger trains from the we are today, or probably customers on existing lines. slow to the fast lines, and this worse, even after Pendolino Jim Steer said HS2 would would create extra capacity lengthening, the Intercity reduce growth pressures in on the slow lines for more Express Programme (the South-east England and shift freight trains.

3 4

Minister criticised for questioning need for high-speed rail

A CLAIM by railway minister Tom Harris that assumed, and European high-speed rail services there was little need for high-speed rail had enabled very significant modal shift from operations in Britain was consistently criticised plane to train, delivering a vast saving in carbon by speakers at the Birmingham conference. dioxide emissions.” Earlier a letter had been leaked to The Times He concluded: “With domestic main lines newspaper, which reported the Minister saying: running out of capacity, and with the current “The argument that high-speed rail travel is a rapid expansion of the continental high-speed ‘green option’ does not necessarily stand up to rail network, the case for further high-speed lines close inspection. in Britain should be properly and fully “Increasing the maximum speed of a train from investigated.” 200km/h [125mph – the current maximum speed Greengauge 21’s Jim Steer said Tom Harris of domestic trains] to 350km/h leads to a 90 per had disregarded the evidence—including the cent increase in energy consumption.” Department for Transport’s own work. Mr Harris’s letter was responding to Chris “The Edddington report showed that high-speed Davies, the Liberal Democrat MEP for the North rail in Britain would save, not increase, CO2 with West of England, who had asked the government a benefit of between £2 - £5 billion because of to make its position clear. Mr Davies pointed out the switch to rail from domestic aviation,” said that France had already built 1,000 miles of Mr Steer. 186mph line, was planning another 500 miles He added that Eurostar services created only and was considering raising the top speed of 10 per cent of carbon emissions per passenger trains to 225mph. compared to flying between London and Paris. In his reply the Minister claimed that Britain And over the past 30 years Japan had increased has less need for high-speed rail than other its train speeds from 210km/h up to 350km/h but European countries. He said: “The economic there had been no increase in carbon emissions geography of the UK is very different from other per passenger. countries with high-speed lines. The main Richard Eccles, Network Rail’s Head of Route challenge for the UK’s transport network is Planning, showed the conference a chart of congestion and reliability, not journey times and passenger kilometres travelled per unit of energy. connectivity.” “European high speed trains appear to be the most efficient — short of a camel,” he declared. Criticism ‘simplistic’ • Two weeks later, Tom Harris appeared to Richard Brown, Eurostar’s chief executive, have changed his mind when The Daily immediately fired off an angry letter, which was Telegraph reported he had said his personal published next day in The Times, calling the belief was that there will be new lines capable of Minister’s comparison with existing trains being used by trains traveling at 186 mph. “simplistic.” “I think there is the potential for a real shift in Mr Brown said the European consensus on how people travel,” Mr Harris said. “Do I think future maximum speed was 320km/h (199mph) there will be high speed travel in the long term? not 350km/h, that Eurostars carried twice as The answer is yes.” many passengers as the government had

4

______

Richard Eccles, Network Rail’s Head of Route Planning, provided information from the International Union of Railways (UIC), showing passenger kilometres carried per unit of energy.

High Speed (300km/h) train 170 pass/km Bus 54.1 pass/km Rapid (200km/h) train 106 Private car 39 Commuter train 90 Plane 20 Regional train 52.5 ______6

6 7

* Eurostar welcomes plan for High Speed 2

EUROSTAR Chief Executive Richard Brown Sir Rod has clarified in front of the House of has welcomed Greengauge 21’s proposals for the Commons Transport Select Committee that he first stage of a new route. believed that there was a role for high-speed rail He said: “Greengauge 21’s report is an in this country, provided it uses proven innovative proposal which recognises how to technology rather than systems such as optimise and build on the benefits that High MAGLEV. Speed 1 brings to the nation. It aims to ease the Moreover, he told the committee, planning growing congestion on the UK’s roads and activity should start now. existing rail networks and reduce demand for Outlining its plans for the first stage of a new environmentally damaging short-haul domestic line, Greengauge 21 says: “Whichever way the and international flights.” project is phased, demand projections carried out Richard Brown added: “Crucially, it would to support the Eddington review show that enable people living across the UK to make a substantial new rail capacity is needed within the simple choice between the environmentally next 10-15 years. unfriendly option of flying from a regional airport, or taking a much greener high-speed rail Could take 15 years service between some key British towns and “Given the long lead times for planning, cities to and from the Continent.” consultation, design, construction and testing, it Greengauge proposes a new line from High could be expected to take 15 years before the Speed 1 (the Channel Tunnel Rail Link) in north first phase is operational. London—and a new spur into Heathrow “Work must clearly start now, as highlighted airport—that would then follow the M40 and by Sir Rod Eddington in his evidence to the Chiltern line corridor to the M42 in Transport Select Committee.” . There the new line would turn to Greengauge says: “For a number of reasons, it follow the M42 past and the is the North West Corridor that makes best sense National Exhibition Centre (where a new for the next extension of high-speed rail in Birmingham International station would be Britain. A high-speed railway between London provided) and join the West Coast Main Line’s and Birmingham, with links to the West Coast Trent Valley section, where four-tracking will be Main Line further north to link the North West, completed this year, near Tamworth. North Wales and Scotland, provided with direct A ‘branch’ off the high-speed line is also connections using a spur into Heathrow airport, proposed to continue through into the is what is needed to maximise value for money.” centre of Birmingham. Greengauge argues that environmental impacts Although Sir Rod Eddington’s Transport Study can be minimised by following existing railways was seen as dismissive of a new high-speed line, and motorways. “Costs per route mile are much

7 lower than on High Speed 1 [the Channel Tunnel would avoid both disruption and costly Rail Link], and costs total £6.6bn, or £11.0bn tunneling, Greengauge argues, although it says with a 66 per cent optimism bias adjustment for new stations would be required at Birmingham High Speed 2,” it reckons. city centre, Birmingham International and at “High Speed 2 would comprise a new fully Heathrow. segregated 300km/h (186 mph) alignment A key feature of High Speed 2, as proposed, is linking the existing international High Speed 1 that it not only supports the operation of longer stations of St Pancras and Stratford International distance high-speed services, but could also be (in East London) with Birmingham and the four- used by regional express services, broadening the tracked Trent Valley section of the West Coast spread of its benefits. Main Line for services to the North West and “HS2 can form part of an environmentally Scotland—plus a connection into Heathrow sustainable transport sector by displacing Airport for direct high-speed services both from wasteful and carbon-damaging short-haul air within Britain and from the near-continent.” trips, and by providing an alternative to the road The ‘candidate’ route (using the M40 and network should national road pricing become a Chiltern rail corridor) that has been put forward reality,” says Greengauge. ______

* Why MAGLEV is ruled out

THE 2008 railway White take) for such a network. order of £60 billion),” Paper was clear on why “However, the only according to the White MAGLEV was a non- operational maglev Paper. runner — cost. system in the world (the “Travelling at 500–550 Shanghai airport link) km/h (310-340 mph), a • MAGLEV has been maglev would be developed principally by sufficiently fast to a consortium of German provide a London– companies led by Glasgow service that Siemens—but even in could compete with air their own country plans on journey time, whilst for MAGLEV operations providing intermediate Shanghai Maglev train have been dropped. stops at Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, had costs three times A proposed high-speed Newcastle and higher than their link between Munich’s Edinburgh. equivalent high-speed city centre and airport Its promoters, UK rail lines. This suggests was scrapped earlier this Ultraspeed, have that the figure could be year because of its high estimated a cost of £29 very significantly cost. billion (excluding land- greater in the UK (of the

______

West Midlands commerce and industry casts doubts

THE absence of a wider business audience at the Mr Clifford said trying to get support in the Railway Forum conference in Birmingham— West Midlands for major projects was “like “High Speed 1 — on time, on budget — Where pulling teeth” compared to his earlier experience next?”—was criticised by Chris Clifford, the with the CBI in the North-west of England. Confederation of British Industry’s West As if to underline his concerns, the Midlands Regional Director. Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and 9

Industry took the unusual step of issuing a press However, Stephen Hughes, chief executive of release questioning the HS2 project. Birmingham City Council, said: “HS2 is now The Chamber’s chief executive Jerry Blackett definitely in the city’s long-term plans. It will said: “As exciting as any novel propositions are, have a transformational impact on Birmingham the city must be rigorous in assessing whether a and the West Midlands.” high speed rail option really represents the best option for Birmingham and the West Midlands.” ______

End of the line for Birmingham’s ‘Grand’ idea

Curzon Street station (left) and Millennium Point (centre and right), with the site proposed for Grand Central station in the foreground, viewed from a train leaving New Street station

IRONICALLY, the Railway Proponents of the station business community fought a Forum’s conference was held project — conceived by campaign for a £650 million at Birmingham’s Millennium Murray Rayner, the refurbishment of New Street Point, where delegates could developer behind Station — which the overlook the Grade II-listed Birmingham’s highly- government approved earlier Curzon Street station. successful Bullring Shopping this year and is expected to Reputed to be the oldest Centre — suggested 17 be completed in 2013 — railway terminal in the world, platforms, each long enough saying it will address this was the original terminus to accommodate a Eurostar Birmingham’s rail needs for of the London & Birmingham train, in a station that would the foreseeable future. Railway when it opened in replace Birmingham New Despite arguments that the 1838 — the first inter-city Street’s 12 platforms. cramped nature of the New railway line to be built into Grand Central station — Street site makes a new London. estimated to cost around £650 station elsewhere around Recently, a major campaign million — would be adjacent, Birmingham city centre was mounted for a new and linked, to Moor Street inevitable within the next 20 ‘Grand Central’ station to be station on the Chiltern line to years, the city planners have built at Curzon Street on 11 provide Birmingham with an approved a £350 million acres of a former British Rail equivalent of the new central scheme for flats, offices, parcels depot, more recently station built in Berlin, shops and a VTP (vertical used by Royal Mail Parcel Germany’s capital. theme park) on the former Force. However, Birmingham City Parcel Force site on the Council and the city’s Curzon Street site. ______

9 10

10 11

______

* So what are the benefits of another high-speed route?

PLANNING and design of the existing main lines it effect of easing demand High Speed 2 in the North would parallel, as the current pressures in the South East.” West Corridor needs to start inter-city services are • There is a further now, say the project’s superseded capacity advantage. High- sponsors, to achieve a range • It offers an accessibility speed lines would all be built of benefits. These include: boost to the major city to a larger (European) • It offers the means to regions it serves, “providing loading gauge, allowing the achieve a step-change in a dynamic and sustainable operation of full-size bi-level commuting capacity into stimulus to commercial trains (and the Alstom [TGV] London from the prime development outside the Duplex train in daily high- growth areas of the Home wider South East. This speed operation in France Counties by providing the benefits the major city exploits this facility). This capacity to operate new regions of the Midlands, the offers much needed longer distance commuter North and Scotland, adding flexibility to accommodate services into central London ( to the attractiveness of growth, achieving a 40 per [as planned for Kent with the development in what are now cent uplift when train fleets 225km/h (140mph) Javelin seen as peripheral locations. are replaced, with no fleet] and by the “huge This in turn would have the associated infrastructure release” of line capacity on costs. ______

Lessons learned since the opening of High Speed 1

AVERAGE delay to Eurostar services the midlands. Through fares from caused by infrastructure problems and Birmingham to Paris or Brussels start adverse weather since High Speed 1 from £77 return. opened last November has been just four seconds per train. “That is Japanese * * * standard performance,” Richard Brown, Eurostar’s chief executive, said. THE French now regard London as their seventh city—with over 300,000 French * * * people living or working in London, made possible by easy access using high-speed AIRLINES operating the London- Eurostar services. Paris/Brussels routes achieved only 61 per cent punctuality (measured within 15 * * * minutes of scheduled time) in the first quarter of 2008. CONSTRUCTION of the £5.8 billion High Speed 1 has resulted in £10 billion of * * * investment in regeneration projects—£4 billion at King’s Cross Central (the area THE number of Eurostar passengers north of St Pancras and King’s Cross carried in the first quarter of 2008 was stations, between the Midland and East 21 per cent higher than the same period Coast main lines), £4 billion at Stratford last year, and revenue increased by 25 (including the 2012 Olympics), and £2 per cent. There was also a 68 per cent billion at Ebbsfleet, in north Kent. increase in journeys originating in the West Midlands, with passengers * * * transferring between Euston and St Pancras, even though Eurostar had not THE publicity campaign to tell people that then launched any marketing activity in Eurostar services was relocating from

11 12

Waterloo to St Pancras last November was Vitesse)—unveiled earlier this year, which so successful that only five Eurostar is capable of carrying up to 900 people in passengers turned up at Waterloo in the double-deck configuration, is 25 per cent first week after the move. more energy efficient than the first- generation TGVs and Eurostars. * * * * * * THE European high-speed rail network will grow by over 500km of track to BUILDING High Speed 1 “was a model 15,000km by 2020. Without any further of good community and neighbour developments, Britain will account for relations,” said Eurostar chief executive only 220km, or less than 1.5 per cent of Richard Brown. There were no the European total. “Swampy” protestors during the construction period, well over one * * * million trees were planted along the route, and since the line opened last ALSTOM’s second-generation high-speed November no complaints have been train—the AGV (Automotrice à Grande received about noise of trains, he said. ______

* What is the ‘candidate’ route for HS2?

GREENGAUGE 21 claims the route proposed area would be provided for a tunneled access for High Speed 2 would minimise adverse route to Heathrow. environmental impacts by maximising the use of The main route northwards would follow the existing transport corridors. Chiltern Line and M40, with a tunneled section It follows a combination of the Chiltern and under the railway alignment through High M40 alignments “to seek an overall optimum for Wycombe. It would incorporate the existing a route that also serves Heathrow efficiently.” Chiltern Line north of to Environmental standards would match those south of Banbury where it would follow the M40 developed for High Speed 1. motorway north westwards. Then, beyond The only new high-speed stations to be Warwick where the motorway and existing rail provided would be in the centre of Birmingham lines come alongside one another, the new line (where Moor Street station could be adapted and would switch to follow a north-easterly extended), at Birmingham International/National alignment adjacent to the M42 motorway. Exhibition Centre and at Heathrow. Passing east of Birmingham through a new The route would connect into High Speed 1 high-speed station at Birmingham International immediately north of St Pancras, so that services Airport and the National Exhibition Centre, the could operate over High Speed 2 from either St route continues north-eastwards to culminate in a Pancras International or High Speed 1 (Stratford, connection with the newly-created four track Ebbsfleet Parkway, Ashford and continental section of the West Coast Main Line, near Europe). Tamworth. Connections could also be provided into A branch from the new line could follow the Euston as an alternative central London existing Chiltern route into central destination for domestic high-speed trains. Birmingham—making use of a redundant section HS2 would proceed westwards and into a new of a four-track right-of-way originally built to tunnel near the former North Pole Eurostar depot the Brunel’s Great Western Railway broad (vacated since HS1 was opened in November last gauge. year) into which a new connection would be Connections would be provided to the existing provided. railway near Princes Risborough (and possibly The line would then follow the largely unused ) and Banbury — to facilitate further track-bed of the former Great Western route new services. alongside the Central Line of London The proposal would also provide for a set of Underground. A delta junction in the Northolt regional express services, extending

12 13

Southeastern’s ‘Javelin’ train service (due to - Cardiff/Bristol – – Heathrow start in 2009 from St Pancras on High Speed 1): - Milton Keynes/Bedford - Heathrow. • North/East Kent – Stratford – Heathrow High Speed 2 would also create the means to • North/East Kent – Stratford – Oxford and free up capacity on existing lines. Greengauge Milton Keynes argues it would be possible to intensify local and Furthermore, there would be scope, with regional services on the southern section of the appropriate electrification of existing lines, to West Coast Main Line (Rugby – London); the extend several other services over the new high- Chiltern Line into Marylebone; the Coventry – speed line, such as: Birmingham corridor; and Banbury–Leamington - Bournemouth/Southampton/Gatwick/ Spa–Coventry. Oxford – Birmingham International – It would also free up capacity for additional North West freight services on the busiest route in the - Coventry//Banbury/ – country (the West Coast Main Line) as well as St Pancras (or Euston) on the Southampton–West Midlands corridor.

CrossCountry Voyager train alongside the M40 Motorway north of Warwick

This special report has been produced by

RAILNEWS The British railway industry’s national newspaper

www.railnews.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

Newsdesk Tel: 020 7278 6100 Fax: 020 7278 6145

Railnews Ltd, King’s Cross Station, London, N1 9AP

13 14

______

* Boosting regeneration

HIGH SPEED 2 offers a very wide set of Gatwick, Reading and Oxford to the Midlands benefits across the country, according to and the North. Grengauge 21. For users of the existing railway network, For the West Midlands, the North West and particularly the West Coast Main Line and the Scotland, it would provide new capacity for very Chiltern line, High Speed 2 would release fast and reliable journeys to London, which capacity for more intense local and regional would bring direct improvements in productivity services. and a boost to regeneration and development in For air travelers, it would provide an the city regions. alternative to environmentally-damaging short- For London, High Speed 2 would provide an haul domestic and European flights, and important cross-London link, with fast, non-stop provides direct surface access to Heathrow from travel between Heathrow and central London. the Midlands, the wider South East and from the For travelers from Birmingham and west for long-haul flights. Manchester, direct international services to Paris, For the UK, there would be system-wide Brussels and Amsterdam would be available. benefits from a modal switch towards the For Stratford, in east London, regular railway, relieving pressures for development on international services and direct connections to motorways and airports and resulting in lower Heathrow would boost current regeneration overall carbon emissions from the transport efforts. sector. For the rail industry, there would be benefits Journeys in the North West Corridor from from higher safety standards and a step-change London to the major centres in the West in the quality of service that can be offered. Midlands, the North West and Scotland, would For the wider South East, High Speed 2 would be 30 minutes quicker than on the upgraded provide a range of new journey opportunities: a West Coast route from 2009, and very much high-quality cross-London express network, with more reliable, says Greengauge. the Javelin fleet operating express commuter Journey times to and from Heathrow would services over High Speed 1 from Kent and cross- offer substantial journey time savings of an hour country connections from Southampton, or more, from places such as Birmingham and Manchester. ______

* How much?

GREENGAUGE 21 says the The total cost of High compensation; and all capital costs of the Speed 2 is therefore overheads, including design conceptual design for High estimated at £6.642bn in and project management. Speed 2, at 2007 values, are: 2007 prices. This includes all It does not include rolling - London – Birmingham engineering costs, including stock, nor ‘optimism bias £4.262bn. new stations at Heathrow and adjustment.’ With a 66 per - Connection to the West Birmingham International, cent optimism bias allowance Coast Main Line (Trent and an upgrade to Moor (which is normally required Valley section) via Street terminus in by The Treasury) project Birmingham International Birmingham; consequential costs would be £11.0bn for (Airport/NEC) £1.204bn. costs on the existing railway, the full High Speed 2 scheme - Heathrow branch (both and new connections to it; or £7.1bn for the 110 mile directions) and new station at depot connection (North London – Birmingham route. Terminal 5 £1.176bn. Pole); land acquisition and ______

14