This week, the Government is set to make a fightback on HS2, focussing on a speech from Patrick McLoughlin MP on Wednesday. On Friday we got a taste of what to expect. With nowhere else to go to try and make HS2 sound better, KPMG were paid by Centro (because that’s the only way you can get an economist to say HS2 is a good idea) to come up with a report saying that the rivers will flow with milk and honey, saying HS2 would mean £4bn/year for the West Midlands economy. Of course the report itself which says how that happens, almost certainly by moving jobs around the country and having to pay for a load more stuff not included in the HS2 bill, is nowhere to be seen.
Obviously the Public Accounts Committee will give HS2 another kicking on Monday, but come Wednesday expect more of this, coupled with the idea that HS2 will solve all the capacity constraints on the UK rail network. BBC Midlands Today took this news to commuters at Moor Street Station, and they weren’t buying it.
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The passenger transport executives need seriously looking at….they are the most wasteful inefficient cushy organisations in the country. Do an foi on how much they spent on smart cards tech and got nowhere…,millions
Centro’s actions just demonstrate their lack of confidence in HS2 Ltd’s work. All that KPMG has done is work that really should be done by HS2 Ltd to demonstrate the advantages of HS2. Given HS2 Ltd’s poor performance so far you can see why Centro chose to do it themselves. Pity they had to spend more tax payer’s money doing it.
Of course the West Midlands (ex-County, rather than Region) will be one of the few places to benefit from HS2. But it is a bit like a casino making a big fuss of all the people who had their number come up on a roulette table whilst keeping quiet about all those who lost out.
It is staggering that people would want to support this project, one can fly almost anywhere in the UK now and it’s cheaper than by train. what about all those little places where they will just stand back and see this monster “zooming” past and will never have the chance to afford the fair. it will not add one iota of anything to anywhere except to be a funnel to the south east.
why cant anyone see sense!
phildavies (it passes within 200 yards of my home)
jobs in each 5 cities can be created with local commuter transport and power projects and migration of civil service jobs from London. Also housing and schools for urban and suburban growth.
As Professor Overman said recently there are other better benefit to cost ratio contracts available. The Coalition seems to carry an inferior complex of wanting biggest and most but not having the debt
raising or cash to fund its visions. The
people are disappointed by the Coalitions proposals to delivery of job ratio. Birmingham airport is not dependent on HS2. Two new tracks from Coventry to Birmingham New Street would bring more to the commuter experience sooner that HS2. Planning for a better BIRMINGHAM CAN BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT HS2.