On the
right track?
For the economy, the ecosystem, and
devolution. These were the promises
that have been the driving force behind
the development of the High
Speed 2 (HS2) network since
December 2010.
In the past decade each element
of this argument has been hotly
contested. Yet the programme
finally received the go-ahead from
government in February this year,
and work has already begun on
Phase One of the line between
London and Birmingham.
The UK has been repeatedly
promised that travel between all
major cities in England will be
faster and more efficient than ever, making it
easier for talent to spread across the country,
create regional skills hubs and reduce London’s
concentration of economic prosperity.
However, the current route for Phase Two of
the project, connecting the Northern-most
cities to the line, is still to be confirmed and
the forecasted completion date of 2040 is
looking even more far flung.
Over the next two decades – or more –
businesses will change and so will the job
market. Already early figures suggesting rail
passenger numbers were on the rise have been
mooted, and the demand for remote working
is increasing.
If these trends continue could HS2 be
creating a network for jobs that will no longer
exist? As work and the world itself become
more digital, questions remain over whether
UK businesses really need HS2 or whether the
money could be better spent elsewhere.
Support from the North
Upon his election in 2019 prime minister
Boris Johnson promised that his Conservative
government would be the one that prioritises
devolution of power to local governments.
A large part of this promise so far has been
an investment in infrastructure, including the
development of HS2 and its connection to the
Northern Powerhouse project.
Jonathan Owens, programme
director for business and
management at the University of
Salford, says: “One of the
fundamental reasons the UK
government went ahead with HS2
was that it would help connect the
North and the South to build an
economy that works for everyone,
to support the growth of
knowledge-based businesses by
better connecting towns, villages
and people to markets.”
And these towns have often criticised the
government, arguing they have been ‘left
behind’ by the capital.
Luke Raikes, senior research fellow at
think tank IPPR North, adds: “It’s worth
saying that as a country we don’t invest
enough in infrastructure.”
Some rail routes, Raikes pointed out,
are well behind compared to other parts
of the country. The TransPennine Manchester
to Leeds connection, for example, is not
yet electrified.
Though electricity for rail was first
introduced to the UK in the late 1800s
(most notably in the London Underground
in 1890) it has had a slow rollout nationwide,
and it was only in 2009 that Network
Rail launched a consultation on large-scale
electrification.
According to the Institution of
Mechanical Engineers only 42% of the
UK’s train lines currently operate using
electricity, leaving the majority still running
diesel-powered locomotives.
So if linked to the Northern Powerhouse
Rail project HS2 has the potential to help
modernise England’s rail network.
Strategic HR HS2 expansion
With several delays and mounting costs,
the future of the HS2 rail project is constantly under scrutinity.
BEAU JACKSON hears the pros and cons for business
Better
connectivity
could see
these parts
of the
UK become
thriving jobs
hubs
Looking at the bigger picture of what the
projects can offer when built, Raikes outlines
that the economic benefit is not just about
one new train link but also what happens
when people arrive in connected cities.
“You need infrastructure to take people on
from Manchester, whether it’s to Liverpool,
Leeds, wherever it is. That’s where you get
the big ‘bang for your buck’ with all of that
infrastructure coming together.”
In February Raikes authored a report for
IPPR North about The devolution
parliament: Devolving power to England’s
regions, towns and cities. When asked if he
thinks HS2 would be a critical factor in
enabling devolution in England, he said:
“It will have a big impact, that’s for sure.
It’s almost impossible to say the nature of
that impact, but just know that it will be
big and it will have a different impact on
different places. There are calculations out
there, but with something as big as HS2 it’s
just difficult to know.”
Many of the cities connected by HS2 are
positive about the contribution the project
can make to local industry, and are urging
the government to commence later stages of
the line in parallel with Phase One.
The city of Nottingham, within the
Greater Nottingham urban area, is planned
to be connected to the HS2 network by a
station in Toton. As a supporter of the HS2
programme, councillor David Mellen, leader
of Nottingham City Council, has stressed
how crucial the network will be to the
Midlands’ economic growth as well as its
environmental targets.
And Mellen refuses to let criticism of the
project slow it down.
“Travel is important and it’s been
something that’s held us back in the
East Midlands. The actual infrastructure,
which I think is as important as the speed,
is much needed in our rail as we want to
encourage people to use public transport,”
he says.
Midlands engine
Where Northern towns and cities have yet to
see construction of the network begin, one
area already seeing the benefits of the project
is Midlands city Birmingham. As a strategic
centre for the line Birmingham has been
home to HS2’s headquarters since its
founding in 2009.
Verity Stokes is a director at Birminghambased
recruitment agency Katie Bard. She
says: “HS2 has had a strong presence in
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