High Speed 2

1
High Speed 2

• The decision and next steps

2
Background

• As per the Coalition commitment, the Government
  developed a proposed strategy for a high speed
  rail network in the UK
• Ran a 5 month public consultation process which
  closed at end July 2011, and extensive public
  engagement
• 41 days of road shows along the proposed London
  to West Midlands line of route
• 7 regional seminars across the UK
• Consultation received almost 55,000 responses
• Select Committee inquiry generally supportive
  of the Governments proposals for HS2

3
The need for HS2

• Capacity
• Britains railways are becoming more and more
  crowded, and the demand for rail travel, will
  continue to grow. We need to provide for this
  demand to support the needs of the public. A
  combination of new high speed lines and released
  capacity on the current network can support
  growth across all key markets long distance,
  commuter, regional and freight.
• Growth
• The economic geography of the UK needs to change
  to address the wealth divide in the UK. Major
  cities other than London need to be able to
  operate competitively as unique markets on a
  global stage.
• Carbon
• Rail is comparatively less carbon intensive as
  road and air travel. We need to encourage modal
  shift onto rail if we are going to meet our
  targets.

4
The decisions

• National high speed rail network linking London,
  Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, with stops in
  the East Midlands and Sheffield, and direct links
  to HS1 and Heathrow
• Deliver network in phases phase 1 links London
  and the West Midlands, and phase 2 extends the
  lines to Manchester and Leeds, with a spur to
  Heathrow
• The network will link into the existing East and
  West Coast main lines to serve places not on the
  HS2 network through classic compatible running,
  including Scotland
• The route corridor proposed in the consultation
  for the London to West Midlands line is the right
  one but we have tweaked detail of the route in
  light of consultation responses to further reduce
  its impacts

5
The line of route

• We have made changes to the consulted route which
  have significantly enhanced sustainability

Increase the clearance over the Trent and Mersey
Canal near Lichfield

• Benefits of changes
• Less than 2 miles of line at surface level
  through the Chilterns AONB more than half of
  the line would be in tunnel or cutting
• 170 fewer properties at risk of demolition
  almost half that of the consulted route
• 1600 fewer properties would experience noticeable
  noise - around a third less than the consulted
  route
• Significantly reduced impacts on heritage sites,
  and on ancient woodlands

Moved the line further from Middleton
Mitigation of impacts at Balsall Common
Shallower cutting and more green tunnelling at
Burton Green
Route moved slightly further east to avoid
Kenilworth Golf Club, lowered into cutting
through the National Agriculture Centre, and
introduced a retained cutting through South
Cubbington Wood (ancient woodland)
Introduce a longer bored tunnel at Long
Itchingham Wood
Longer green tunnel past Chipping Warden and
Aston le Walls, and route curved to avoid
heritage sites at Edgcote
Longer green tunnel at Wendover and an extension
to the green tunnel at South Heath
Lower alignment and introduce green tunnel past
Greatworth, and short green tunnel at Turweston
Longer, continuous tunnel from Little Missenden
to the M25 through the Chilterns AONB
Altering alignment to take it further from Twyford
Introduce a 2.75 mile bored tunnel along the
Northolt corridor
Lower alignment past Aylesbury and Stoke
Mandeville
6
Next Steps
7
Engagement

• Property and Blight
• Further consultation on property blight proposals
  in spring 2012, and a decision on the final deal
  will be agreed later in 2012.
• London to West Midlands
• HS2 Ltd will be working with those communities
  affected by the line in order to consider local
  views and discuss proposals to inform the
  Environmental Impact Assessment. This includes a
  national environmental forum, planning framework
  forums, and community forums.
• Manchester and Leeds legs
• March 2012 HS2 Ltd preparing advice on
  proposed routes
• north of Birmingham
• Autumn 2012 DfT to publish preferred routes
• 2012-2014 Engagement on Y leg proposals
• 2014 Public consultation
• We need to start thinking about how HS2 and wider
  city and spatial planning work together both
  for the London to West Midlands line, and the Y
  legs.

8
Questions