Welcome
HS2 Action Alliance is a not for profit organisation working with over 70 local community groups, which is challenging the case for the High Speed 2 (HS2) project and working to get Government to take the right decisions.
HS2 is a Government plan to build a high speed rail link. The initial plan is for a high speed railway between London and the West Midland (Birmingham). The second phase will take the high speed rail to Manchester and Leeds (the 'Y') and make connections with existing intercity services. The initial phase will provide a link to HS1 and, in the second phase, a link to Heathrow. The total capital cost of both phases (the 'Y' network) is over £30 billion and represents a cost to every family of well over £1000
Our 5 core campaign messages are
- HS2 is a waste of money and wrong priority
- The business case is flawed
- HS2 can't cure the North South divide
- There are better alternatives to improving our railways
- The environmental case has collapsed
Read more about them here.
You can also find out about the alternatives at www.betterthanhs2.org
Jerry Marshall's open letter to Justine Greening can be read here
What a difference a new job makes
Latest blog entry, discussing the results of the public consultation on HS2 and Justine Greening's political career, can be read here
Following the Government's announcement yesterday to go ahead with the £32bn HS2 project, the story was widely covered in the media. For a selection of the major press coverage, click here
HS2AA's response to the Government's decision on HS2- Bruce Weston, director of HS2AA said:
'Justine Greening has just committed each and every household in the UK to pay £1,700 for a railway that is not needed and not wanted'. Read the full response here
AGAHST’s response to Government decision on HS2- Jerry Marshall, Chairman, AGAHST said;
'Justine Greening has said that she would make a rational decision on HS2 and she clearly has not. If she had taken a cold hard look at HS2 she would see that it is a disaster waiting to happen'. Read the full response here
Network Rail betray their prejudice in favour of HS2, as despite not disputing either the capacity the 51m solution provides, nor materially the costs (which are a fraction of HS2), they fail to conclude that it is a better more cost-effective approach than HS2. Network Rail focus particularly on the disruption that it would cause, ignoring the fact that it would be insignificant compared to that from HS2's 8 year rebuild of Euston- aptly described by one expert as ''like open heart surgery on a conscious patient.
Poland becomes the latest country to shelve its plans for high speed railways, and even France looks to focus new expenditures on their existing lines. Read a full round-up of the position overseas, and in China.
New Year’s Resolutions for Greening. As Justine Greening prepares to give the go-ahead to HS2 in January (despite widespread public opposition), members of Action Groups Against High Speed Two (AGAHST) along with railway expert Chris Stokes, have been giving some thought to what her New Year’s resolutions should be for the UK’s rail network. Read the resolutions...
New YouGov Poll - Nearly two thirds of population opposed to money being spent on HS2.
Click here to read our full press release.
Click here to read today's STOP HS2 letter to Justine Greening.
The DfT in their 17 Nov 2011 House of Commons research paper (RP11-75) summarise how they see the arguments from both sides. Much is drawn from the TSC, and does not give the complete picture, and of course predates any summary of the issues raised in the 55,000 consultation responses – due Dec 2011.
Click here to read our guest blog by Jerry Marshall, AGAHST.
- Improvements to existing intercity and commuter lines more important than HS2, say directors
- Directors concerned about value for money
- Larger proportions think that airport capacity increases would improve their productivity
DfT have confirmed they did not say that the response to the consultation was largely positive (see Guardian article) but that the TSC 'echoes a number of the messages coming out from the responses to the public consultation'. Rather different.
8th November 2011– Today’s Transport Select Committee (TSC) report on High Speed Rail Two (HS2) recommends revisions that destroy the business plan case for the £30 billion project, according to opponents of the scheme.
Read our press release and see our summary of the 10 key points that destroy the business case.
We've updated our list of organisations against HS2, MPs who are against or sceptical and comments from the media and individuals. Read the summary or go to the full document. Please let us know of any additions or changes needed.
An independent TV production company filming about empty homes is interested in the impact of HS2. Whether you are an owner or a neighbour if you have a story to share see here for more info, including how to contact them.
The Chair of the All Parliamentary Group for HS2, Stuart Andrew, MP, has written in the MPs House magazine (read here)
why he believes HS2 is necessary for Capacity. But he is wrong! HS2AA have responded with the arguments for why what
he says is nonsense, read it here
There is still plenty of scope to add capacity to the West Coast Mainline. The idea that this is costly or impractical is plain nonsense. Download our advertisement from the latest House magazine for the facts here.
Jerry Marshall, Chairman of AGHAST, commenting on the appointment of Justine Greening to the post of Minister for Transport
Phone your friends and get them to go to www.highspeedrail.org.uk/xaa and e-mail their MP, while you are speaking to them. It's 5mins well spent!
Rebutting 6 Myths about HS2
- HS2 is NOT ‘green’ – it doesn’t fit as part of the low carbon economy
- HS2 WON’T bridge the North/South divide, or deliver economic benefits
- HS2 is NOT a sound investment – it’s not value for money
- A new railway is NOT needed to solve the rail capacity problem
- HS2 will NOT greatly reduce domestic air travel
- The UK does NOT need to catch up with Europe – it is still ahead. Read more about this specific myth here.
For details Click here, also see our 'Myths' web page.
Campaigners for HS2 have attempted to counter our myths, see our response to them.