Mridan » Travelogue Entry » Ministers not convinced by proposal for 50bn high-speed rail line

Ministers not convinced by proposal for 50bn high-speed rail line

A NEW high-speed rail line between Scotland and London is expected to be hit with another setback today, when ministers announce they have yet to be convinced by the scheme.

The project is seen as likely to tempt travellers to switch from plane to train by cutting Edinburgh/Glasgow-London journeys to less then three hours, but it could cost at least 50 billion.

Ministers are understood to believe the case has yet to be made for the massive project.

They are likely to seek to focus future rail development on less ambitious schemes instead, which reduce congestion and provide more seats on trains.

The conclusion is expected to form part of the government’s white paper on the future of the railways over the next 30 years, which Ruth Kelly, the Transport Secretary, will announce to MPs this afternoon. It echoes Sir Rod Eddington’s report, commissioned by the government, on major transport schemes, which was published last December.

Sir Rod, a former British Airways chief executive, said ministers should concentrate on freeing the existing rail network.

Despite acknowledging that many business leaders believe a high-speed line could replace many air journeys to and from Scotland, he said: “The evidence is very quiet on the scale of resulting economic benefit.”

Ms Kelly’s predecessors have blown hot and cold on the project in previous years, with the huge cost involved a principal concern. This is despite lobbying from the rail industry, which has warned ministers that planning must start now on a new line before remaining capacity on the east and west coast main lines is used up.

While ministers agree such a project is worth considering, they are understood to believe it has still to prove its worth on grounds of cost and environmental benefit. Rail has traditionally been a greener way to travel than road, but the gap with cars is narrowing as motor manufacturers develop cleaner engines and trains become heavier to meet safety requirements.

Despite various feasibility studies, details of the likely shape of a high-speed line have also yet to be established. It is not yet clear which route it would follow, how far north it would get, where it would cross the Border - if at all - and whether it would follow an existing line.

Passenger Focus, the official watchdog, said 87 per cent of rail travellers were happy with journey times, and it called for overcrowding to be tackled first.

David Begg, a former government transport adviser, said the government’s view was logical considering the lack of a full picture of transport costs. He said: “It does not make much sense to come out with a high-speed project when we do not have a 30-year view for air and roads too.”

However, Jon Shaw, the director of the centre for sustainable transport at Plymouth University, said the government’s attitude reflected its Anglo-centric concerns, and predicted the line might only reach Manchester.

He said: “A high-speed line to Scotland is extremely low on the list of priorities for transport spending in England, as it would bring very little advantage to those south of the Border. Frankly, it is much more important to the Scottish economy to be linked to the south-east of England than vice versa.”

CAPS on popular fares must remain to keep rail travel affordable, passenger watchdogs warned the government yesterday.

Passenger Focus has raised its concern following reports that ministers may seek to lift restrictions on saver tickets in its latest blueprint for the railways, due out today.

The official watchdog said such fares must be protected from large increases so passengers who are unable to book ahead do not find themselves unable to afford to travel by train.

While cheaper tickets are often available in advance, saver tickets are usually the lowest price fares available to buy on the day of travel.

They account for about 40 per cent of long-distance tickets, and are currently pegged to rise no more than 1 per cent above inflation annually.

However, some train operators are planning to hike up fares because the money they receive from the government is being reduced.

Arriva, which in November takes over Virgin’s cross country franchise, including most non-London cross-Border trains, has already said it will increase some fares by 3.4 per cent above inflation every year.

Anthony Smith, the chief executive of Passenger Focus, said: “We want to see an ongoing commitment to fares regulation, at least at the current level.

“It is also important that regulation is maintained for saver tickets. We want to keep the ‘walk-up’ railway affordable to passengers who cannot book their tickets in advance, such as where they have to travel at short notice.”

The Department for Transport declined to comment ahead of today’s announcement.