The rail infrastructure providers are planning a new high speed link that runs north to south. The link is to include Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London. At £34bn it is not going to be cheap.
What are the challenges??
- £34 billion for the route. Given current government spending commitments, public funding is going to be an issue. The banking sector will not be able to fund this easily. However, we do own the bank so we could get a better deal.
- If we could align a route that ran relatively straight North to South, there maybe efficiencies. If we use existing routes and stations then we are likely to have problems. High speed and urban density do not work well. If the land take is excessive or compulsory purchases are necessary then we are likely to end up in a long drawn out planning and legal acquisition process.
- The engineering is not a problem but is likely to be costly. A siginificant amount of tunnels are likely to be used when entering cities. London will almost certainly require a new terminus.
- High speed trains require a great deal of power to function. Current consumption will almost certainly require new power plants. The most efficient high speed rail systems in the world are dependent on nuclear power. Are we ready for a nuclear Britain?
- Revenue generation is important. High speed will run at a loss for at least 5-10 years. A phased programme may help. Fare levels have to attractive. It is currently cheaper to travel by air to London than by trains. Do we need to make airlines uncompetitive by taxing them more?
- The political will to build a railway must be present. The Conservatives, despite current pronouncements, are still market driven and are unlikely to fund such a scheme. Labour has not shown any strong desire to drive rail travel forward. There is the Scottish Question that will raise its head.
