Off-track
IT hardly needs stating that a major transport project like High Speed Rail 2 is incomparable to the Millennium Dome. Yet that has not stopped the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) from making an absurd comparison to New Labour’s politically motivated white elephant. A new line linking London to Yorkshire and Manchester would have a transformative effect on the neglected North, which is why it has long been championed by this newspaper.
Of course there are challenges in building such a large and costly scheme, but the pitfalls which opposition groups have spotted are exaggerated. Perhaps the biggest mistake the IEA has made is in its analysis that HS2 won’t help bridge the North-South divide. If a better rail system means Yorkshire becomes “closer” to London then it will bring more families, businesses and tourists to this region. Similarly, if the environmental benefits appear questionable, then why has high-speed rail been embraced in Europe and Japan?
Crossrail, the £16bn scheme linking east and west London, has survived the coalition’s spending cuts and so should HS2.