‘Desperately short on details’ – industry reacts to high-speed rail plan
A tentative revival of high-speed rail between Birmingham and Manchester has been welcomed as a step in the right direction. However, senior figures say an absence of detail could once again test public and investor confidence in the UK’s rail ambitions.
Earlier today, the government confirmed it has “long-term” ambitions to build the scrapped high-speed line between the West Midlands and the North West – but only following the completion of another planned high-speed rail project across the north of the country, linking Liverpool and York.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the government would learn the lessons of the over-running HS2 project — originally intended to link the two cities — as it considers how a revived scheme could be delivered.
“This is not a reinstatement of HS2,” she said.
“Further work is required to establish how it can best support our rail ambitions for across the North, and its delivery would happen after the completion of Northern Powerhouse Rail.”
That could be years or even decades away, prompting senior figures in the rail industry to call for more details on how the plans could move from the drawing board and into delivery.
Rail union TSSA, which represents over 17,000 workers in the UK including staff directly employed by the HS2 project, had previously criticised the decision to scrap the northern leg of HS2, but welcomed the government’s intentions to re-start the scheme.
However, the union said the plans were too short on detail, with the lack of even a notional delivery timetable potentially fuelling further erosion of public confidence in the country’s high-speed rail projects.
TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, said the government risked producing a “press release, instead of a plan”, adding that the announcement was “desperately short on delivery details”.
“Following nearly 15 years of Conservative austerity, rail workers and millions of passengers have heard too many promises about transforming northern rail, only to see projects delayed, diluted or dropped,” she said.
“It’s vital the government acts at pace to deliver these plans and signal a break with the austerity of the past, funding projects like Northern Powerhouse Rail by properly taxing the super-rich, not just ordinary hard-working people.”
Elsewhere, industry experts welcomed the plan, but offered similar caution around delays on delivering the scheme.
Senior bosses at engineering consultants Ramboll, which has provided enabling works on HS2 and has an office in Birmingham, said they believed the project offered a “genuine opportunity” to improve rail connectivity in the UK.
Michael Toher, head of Rail UK & Ireland for the firm, said that the £45bn committed to NPR was “long-awaited and highly welcome”, but called for more confidence over delivery of the Midlands proposals.
“Investment in transport infrastructure is vital for both local and national growth, playing a crucial role in creating a more resilient and sustainable economy while breaking down regional barriers and ultimately supporting those communities that stand to benefit most from development,” he said.
“What’s now critical is confident, swift delivery. Infrastructure improvements often spark a ripple effect of investment and growth, but we need assurance that plans are well-backed and can move forward quickly. Mixed messages and delays, as seen with NPR, can be damaging to attracting essential private investment.”
Meanwhile, Chris Oglesby, chief executive of Bruntwood and Bruntwood SciTech, which has locations in both Birmingham and Manchester, offered a warm welcome for proposals to connect the two cities via high-speed rail.
He said the plans supported government’s original vision for HS2 to build greater links between the capital and the UK’s regions.
“The combination of strong national commitment over the long term with mechanisms that support local decision making is an important step forward in ensuring that we finally have a transport system that is fit for the 21st century,” he said.
