A classic example of a politically-led project
Transport for The North’s ‘Northern Powerhouse Rail’ is a classic example of a politically-led project in which rational considerations have been over-ridden, according to rail consultant Paul Salveson.
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Like Paul Salveson, I don’t see the benefit to the UK economy of an HS2 that adds central Birmingham to the one-hour commuter catchment of the London colossus. But, nor do I see how the existing cross-Pennine rail routes can be de-kinked enough, cheaply enough, to persuade HM Treasury that this would speed the growth of a cross-Pennine economy centred on Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield. Nor is the idea of a cross-Pennine multi-upgrade simple and politically glamorous. The visionaries who gave us HS2 were London-centric and played to a London-centric audience. My own Northern Cities Crossrail scheme of five years ago recognised all this and may have had the right name but, removed from London, failed on cost. Not so Crossrail 2, eh?
hsnorthstart
January 22, 2019 at 10:55 am