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News analysis
Under current plans,
HS2 would come into
Euston station
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impact of options for linking Heathrow
to High Speed One. Research will also be
carried out into the market for services
between Heathrow and the Continent.
Briscoe admits that any connection would
be expensive but he says: ‘That doesn’t mean
that it may not be strategically the right
thing to do. What we are trying to do is give
ministers all the evidence.’
But are there enough passengers wishing
to make through journeys? Briscoe says:
‘Well at the moment the market is not there
because the opportunity doesn’t exist. We
know from previous studies that the length
of rail journey time is crucial in determining
how much the market is attracted to the
option, but certainly we should not make
a decision about High Speed Two without
deciding whether or not it should be
connected to High Speed One, because that
does open up opportunities for connections
from the north of the country through to
Europe.’
The election and the request for
additional research has meant delays to
the original timetable announced by the
previous government. It’s emerged that
a public consultation, scheduled for this
autumn, will now take place early next year
instead. High Speed Two Ltd, it appears, will
be playing a lead role on the consultation
when it eventually happens. Briscoe says:
‘There will be a public exhibition in most
communities up and down the route
over a period of time, including at both
ends, and then the opportunity for public
meetings and for people to make their views
known directly and through their public
authorities.’
With regard to the anticipated review of
the preferred route, the letter from Phillip
Hammond states: ‘I will wish to review
in more detail your recommended route’,
although in the same letter, he allowed
environmental assessment work to continue,
leading some to conclude that a major
review of the route was not about to happen.
Briscoe explains: ‘There is a balance of issues
to be struck between environmental cost
and the demand structures that you get from
particular configurations of line. All of that
needs to be weighed in the balance, and those
are political decisions that should probably
be made by ministers. What we are doing
is providing the advice and information on
which ministers can then act and choose
what we all hope will be the best outcome
for London to the West Midlands.’
And asked whether he thought a major
review of the preferred route was likely,
Sir Brian refused to be drawn saying only
that: ‘Ministers have not made a decision
‘The election and the
request for additional
research has meant
delays to the original
timetable announced
by the previous
government’
on any part of the route yet. They will be
looking at the advice we are giving them
about Heathrow and the connection to
High Speed One in the late summer. They
will then publish a preferred route in the
autumn we assume. Early in the new year
there will be a consultation along the line of
the route enabling people to comment on
the proposals.’
He adds: ‘I shall wait and see what the
government tells me to do and then I will be
more than happy to tell you!’
PETER PLISNER IS THE BBC’S MIDLANDS
TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT:
peter.plisner@railpro.co.uk
AUGUST 2010 PAGE 17