The case against High Speed 2 (HS2)
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Why it’s time to think again
High Speed 2 is a flawed government plan to build a new high-speed rail line linking London, the West Midlands, Leeds and Manchester. The total construction cost of the entire project is estimated at £42.6 billion, plus another £8 billion for rolling stock – an unprecedented level of expenditure for a single project ever proposed by a British Government in peacetime. If you agree HS2 is not in the national interest please join us today.
HS2 will be a huge waste of money
The Government’s own figures show that returns for Phase 1 (London to West Midlands) have fallen from £2.40 for every £1 of public money spent to £1.40. Comparable figures for the entire network have fallen from £4 to £1.90 for every £1 spent.
But even these figures are suspect – key assumptions on demand, pricing, financing costs and other savings have been manipulated to exaggerate the case for HS2.
Claims that HS2 is needed for capacity don’t stack up
The Secretary of State for Transpo...
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