Campaign: High Speed Rail
Introduction
The Government has published its High Speed Rail Command Paper setting out proposed strategy for a high speed rail line from London to the West Midlands, near Birmingham.
There will be announcements by the present Government, Opposition parties, MP's and prospective parliamentary candidates, local councils, other groups and commentators to consider.
'The Government should abandon plans to make High Speed 2 (HS2) the fastest railway in the
world' – Press Release issued by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), 4 Nov. 2010.
The Buckinghamshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England shares the concerns that have been expressed nationally and within Buckinghamshire regarding the HS2 project. We will be pressing the Government and HS2 Ltd to answer the following questions.
1. HS2 is planned to travel initially at speeds of 225 mph. For most rail journeys in Britain, the time saving fr0 this ultra high speed will be minimal. How is this ultra high speed which saves so little journey time, justified in terms of the national interest, when environmental issues are also taken into account
2. Trains travelling at 225 mph require the tracks to be as straight as possible. Such alignments will make the destruction of special places (environmental, historical and social) more likely. What assessment has been made as part of the project planning, of the impact on the special places that will be affected by the preferred route
3. The HS2 project is based to a large extent on future rail passenger numbers. Has the Government subjected the factors it has used in its determination of the needs, to rigorous independent appraisal?
Our questions relate to the HS2 project in total rather than the particular impact that will be made on Buckinghamshire as we believe that there are issues of a fundamental nature that have not been fully addressed. The damage and destruction that the preferred route will cause to the Colne Valley, the Chilterns, the Vale of Aylesbury and the rural areas further north of the county are examples of the loss of habitat and public amenities that will result from a project that has not been shown to be in the national interest
The Government will be making further announcement about HS2 in the next two months in advance of the public consultation that is likely to begin in early 2011. We will continue to monitor the situation carefully.
Many organisations have made statements on the HS2 proposal and these can be seen at the following links:
Latest Campaign News
18th March 2011 - Updated Statement on High Speed Rail and HS2
CPRE Bucks agrees with many of the government's objectives set out in the consultation document (increased rail capacity, reduced journey times and increased reliability, improved rail links between our major cities, reductions in energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions, and transfers from air and road travel to raill. However, we believe that the proposed HS2 scheme suffers from many significant disadvantages and as a consequence of these it fails satisfactorily to achieve the set objectives.
We deplore the flawed consultation process, which only identifies one route for consideration. Also, the scheme is not proven to provide value for money, which should be a primary consideration in the present and projected economic circumstances. We have many other concerns, which will be fully documented as part of the consultation process. Our response may be made in association with like minded organisations.
Our recommendation to all those who are concerned about the protection of Rural England and HS2 is to read the consultation documents, visit the planned roadshows and respond to the consultation.
We call upon the government to act upon the views of the various respondents, reconsider, and amend its proposals accordingly.
Click here for a copy of the Updated Statement Leaflet.
12th July 2010 - Updated Statement on HS2
The previous government proposed a high speed rail link known as High Speed 2 (HS2) from London to Birmingham through the Chilterns. Although the precise route is being reviewed by the new coalition government, its emphasis on the need a direct link to Heathrow means that even more of Buckinghamshire could be affected.
The Buckinghamshire Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England Buckinghamshire (CPRE Bucks) has been closely monitoring the developments and has met with key decision makers, including HS2's Chief Engineer, to raise its concerns. We appreciate and indeed advocate the use of rail travel as a means of reducing the far more environmentally damaging road and air travel. However CPRE has a responsibility to ensure that any proposed project that could damage our countryside be subjected to intense scrutiny.
The potential impact on the Chilterns, most of which is a nationally designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), means rigorous examination of the need for HS2 is required, as well as the highest environmental standards for the route if its construction is proved to be in the national interest. Yet CPRE Bucks covers the whole county and we are also very concerned about HS2's potential impact both on the Green Belt close to London and on the more tranquil areas of the county in the Vale of Aylesbury.
The new proposal for a station in the Green Belt and floodplain by Heathrow is a major concern. Not only would this generate a huge amount of new traffic on roads that are already the busiest and most polluted in the country, but also a new connecting line would plough through much of the first section of countryside west of London. The new government has confirmed that HS2 should still be capable of very high speeds of 250mph, much faster than High Speed Rail on the continent of between 155 and 200mph. Besides using up far more electricity to run trains and producing far more noise, this would significantly restrict routing options. With such high speeds, it would be near impossible to protect the tranquillity of the least developed and most sensitive areas of the county.
We are in close contact with CPRE's National Office, which has called on the new government to review the design parameters for HS2, in particular its top speed. We believe that alternative routes along the M1 corridor ought to be considered, without the constraint of having to be suitable for 250mph trains.
Public consultation has now been put back until early 2011, giving more time for the terms and assumptions behind HS2 to be reconsidered an. CPRE Bucks will monitor developments in conjunction with CPRE's National Office, the Chiltern Society and the Chilterns Conservation Board. We will campaign for the best outcome for Buckinghamshire's countryside and keep our members up to date with developments.
March 2010 - High Speed Rail Announcement
The Government has published its High Speed Rail Command Paper setting out proposed strategy for a high speed rail line from London to the West Midlands, near Birmingham.
There will be announcements by the present Government, Opposition parties, MP's and prospective parliamentary candidates, local councils, other groups and commentators to consider. The impending General Election is also expected to have an impact on a way the HS2 project develops.
A circular to members has been issued, available here and updates will follow on this website when there are significant events/developments to report.
HS2 Route Map
View Stop HS2 in a larger map
Map courtesy of stophs2.org
Upcoming Campaign Events
None at present.