Government confirms high speed rail strategy

HS2 is also intended to increase capacity for passengers. Currently, those on crowded inter-city trains are increasingly being forced to stand for longer periods and as the problem worsens, commuters are unable to board peak time trains.

In line with increasing capacity demand, HS2 has been designed to be more spacious than existing UK trains, similar to designs being used elsewhere in Europe.

The long-term option for investing in high speed rail would transform and enable Britain to compete globally and for national economic prosperity.

Such investment in faster and more convenient journeys between the major cities and international networks will lead to the support of companies and wealth creators as well as improving connection between communities.

Further upgrades of existing lines can provide additional capacity but growth in demand looks set to outweigh the pace of this and is seen as a short term approach unable to meet long term challenges.

The choice is not whether to build new lines but what type of new lines to build, as more lines built for conventional speeds would certainly fail to reap the economic rewards offered by high speed.

The Government is committed to developing a national high speed rail network with the lowest feasible impacts on local communities and the natural environment. In response to the consultation process there have been additional changes to tunnelling and the alignment of the route in a number of places.

Further engagement with local people must follow as the project progresses and as further environmental assessment is undertaken.

The Government wants to reassure people that the project is both affordable and can be delivered on time and to budget.

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