I HAVE friends who will be directly affected by the proposed route of the HS2.
Should I advise them to fight until they drop or point out that the compensation and the greater good make it worth their trouble?
The cost is estimated at £32 billion but then again the Olympics were estimated at £3.2bn during the bid but rapidly rose in cost to £9.6bn. The costs are likely to rise. The railway is likely to be operated by a major company, which no doubt will put the profit centre in the best place for the shareholders.
Security needs consideration. A prestigious railway line is likely to be a terrorist target. Does this mean airport style checks? Who is going to design and construct the railway? Will the team be based around the line or in London? What jobs are likely to go to locals? Who will use this service? Well, it’s unlikely that I will. In 20 years I’m more likely to be dead. People like me, but younger, would love to attend concerts and theatres in London. Currently it is extremely difficult to travel by train to such events. Return train times are unhelpful and prices do not compete with four people in a car.
The collateral effects need taking in to account. The blight on housing is fairly obvious. There will disruption of our roads and some of our lovely countryside will become building sites.
CHRIS HARDY Northwich
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