Reblogged from Stop HS2 (the National Campaign against HS2)…
As we reported last week,the Department for Transport know they have been making errors, and downgraded the BCR (benefit cost ratio) for HS2.
- Map showing who wins from 51M: there are no losers
Alternative schemes become even more attractive compared to HS2 than they already are.
One of these is the ‘Optimised Alternative’, developed last year by the 51M group of councils. (Full details can be found on their website – download the details here.)
The 51M alternative is a series of incremental upgrades which more then meets the Department for Transport’s expected growth in demand for passengers. And more crucially it does it far cheaper then HS2 with, with a significantly higher BCR then HS2.
A report for the government by Atkins, published in January shows this: Atkins was asked by the Department for Transport “to appraise a set of strategic alternatives to the government’s overall proposed high-speed rail strategy for a Y-shaped network linking London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds”.
The report estimates that 51m’s proposals to increase long-distance capacity on the west coast main line by lengthening the trains to 12 cars, reducing the number of first-class carriages and running additional peak long-distance services, offered the taxpayer a return of £6.06 for every pound invested. In contrast, the government’s official BCR is now only 1.2 for the first phase of HS2 – assuming the Department for Transport have made no more mistakes in their models.
The former transport secretary,Philip Hammond told the transport select committee: “As rail projects go, a benefit-cost ratio of 2.6 is quite reasonable. If it were to fall much below 1.5, I would certainly be putting it under some very close scrutiny.”
- Map showing who wins from 51M: there are no losers
- With HS2, there are more losing out than gaining
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- There is definitely an issue with HS2, it is an extraordinary waste of money… savings and more efficient investment can be achieved in other ways as suggested in this article. This is one of the worst approaches to ‘sustainability’ of any government… by the time any foreseeable benefits might arise in 2026/2033 the trains etc will be outdated… this is another white elephant project and ought not to be proceeded with.
- Twitter: @Chrindu
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