Alison Munro, CEO of HS2 Ltd refuses to bet for charity that HS2 will come in on budget:
Proof that HS2 Ltd are happy to gamble with our money but not their own! Julia Hartley-Brewer interviews Alison Munro, Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd, on LBC Radio 24th July 2013.
Meanwhile, Nigel Wilson, the chief executive of Legal and General, told the Sunday Telegraph that they want to invest £15 billion in UK infrastructure – but thinks HS2 is not a good use of their money.
Sunday Telegraph: Legal & General in £15bn infrastructure pledge for UK but HS2 will miss out
“If there’s capital available, you’d be thinking of spending it on building more homes rather than spending £43bn on rail when there’s a desperate shortage of housing.
“If we want to develop the regions then let’s develop regional plans. Just building a slightly improved rail service won’t necessarily do that.”
Legal and General are talking sense please listen Mr Cameron.
Rail travel in the UK is vital for many commuters who use trains on the Network Rail routes. Network Rail and ATOCS need to plan the changes for the next twenty years realistically, including consideration of current debts and subsidies and the affordable contributions from the Public and Private investors.
HS2 does NOT provide the commuter growth in capacities and train paths on the existing network in a timely and value for money manner.
The siloism by Lord Adonis DFT to separate HS2 from the management of Network Rail has now poached some of the key people required for upgrades to Network Rail.
This separate Y route has weaknesses in availablity with one track each way and extensive tunneling requiring changes to the ERTMS coverage and limiting route branching.
The HS2 Y one track each way is work in progress and to double track each direction of travel will raise the current estimates signficantly.
HS2 has little potential to evolve into a network in the phase 1 section from London to Birmingham.
Unfortunately there is not the willingness of HS2 and DFT to have people who can face the fact that one direction HS2 will be unreliable and unavailable for many mornings and windy/stormy/lightning and frost/snow times.
Sadly the Excutive of HS2 has not had the direct experience of planning such routes hand on. It is new to the few and particularly those with previous UK railway experience in 2009 to 2011.
Time not to bet on HS2 as is. Poor integrity of providing a weak solution to the expenditure of plus £30B to the press estimates rising to £40B, £50B, £60B and one that was £80B. HS2 is not the answer for resolving the commuter and new housing/town developments in Central England.
Contrary to the Minister’s advice to the local authorities and others about wasting taxpayer’s money. HS2 is wasting the time to develop affordable changes with ATOC and Network Rail and HS1 as it brings in the Taskforce with the wrong brief for value for money for the Commuters and nation.