News archive
The Fightback Starts Here
A dedicated Legal Fund has been set up for all donations to the legal action. Please click here to see how to make a donation. All monies paid into the legal fund will be used solely for legal matters and kept separate from main campaign funds.
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
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.
Our 2 page summary, "The arithmetic of alternatives to HS2: using existing lines to meet capacity" is available here.
- 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
Read our press release and see our summary of the 10 key points that destroy the business case.
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.
opponents to the £32 billion scheme are calling for a proper examination of the capacity available from the rail alternatives,
and their ability to fully meet DfT’s forecast demand, including peak periods. Click here to read more.
material here.
proposed route.
Financial Times, The Economist and Archie Norman to name just three. Former minster Lord Digby Jones made his views
perfectly clear on the impact HS2 will have on Birmingham yesterday when he said; “Anyone in Birmingham that says HS2
will do anything other than make Birmingham a dormitory town for London needs to get real."
Get your friends in other parts of the country to use http://www.highspeedrail.org.uk/xaa to get letters sent to MPs. It really
helps.
could cost every taxpaying household £1,000 each for something that will deliver no great value for nearly 20 years. Even
then it will be of benefit to very few. It is based on the idea that we can be like the French, but this is not France. The likelihood
of cost-overruns is high and the damage to countryside and communities certain and permanent. Scrap HS2 now and
announce instead £17bn of spending – half the amount – to bring about the biggest improvement in history of Britain’s existing
railway." Read the article.
Manchester, Sunday 2nd October The Alliance will be in Manchester this weekend to discuss its 'A Better Railway for Britain'
document, prepared by leading railway experts and economists to highlight ways to improve the nation's railway infrastructure.
The new campaign advert will also be featured. Please click here to read more.
scheme to build new high-speed rail links between Birmingham and London. Indeed, research suggests that commuters will
see a reduction in services, a £51 million bill per constituency and many years of disruption. Services between the Midlands
and the capital will also be slashed by two-thirds and commuters will pay a torturous price with years of delays and route
changes. Please click here to find our interactive map of the UK outlining the impact of the current HS2 route and read the
full Birmingham Mail article by clicking here.
As part of its campaign against the Government’s plan for a high speed rail line, the Alliance against HS2 just launched a
hard-hitting new advert illustrating how investment in policing could be protected by cancelling the £33bn project. Please
click here to read more.
saying all along. A high speed rail link between London and Birmingham will be a white elephant – and do next to nothing
to give the UK the competitive railway network it needs.
latest blog on this.
There will be a general debate on HS2 in the House of Commons on 13 October 2011, so it is even more important that
you write to your MP, to make sure they know your concerns (its easy to do this by going to www.highspeedrail.org.uk )
and sign the petition at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/353 to make sure your objections get counted.
Who's on side
So what were their earlier claims based on then?
Professor Begg has responded to our rail manifesto. Read our response on how he persists in misrepresenting the facts'.
A new document is published today by AGAHST, of which HS2AA is part, “A Better Railway for Britain ” - on a new
ultra high speed.
Read our latest blog on how Begg misrepresents High Speed Rail and jobs.
Latest analysis by HS2AA of the written responses by DfT and by HS2 Ltd to the questions from the Transport Select
from DfT and HS2 Ltd.
There have been some issues (see story in the media recently) with the acceptance of previous petitions against HS2
So a new one, on the Government's own website has been created. http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/353. Please
sign thenew petition and ensure you respond to the acknowledgement in your Inbox to complete the process. Ask all your
friends and family to sign it too.
A short summary of the key evidence on why HS2 will not benefit the north is here. It's not just HS2AA that say this, but
Great to see the Economist on side: "In most developed economies high-speed railways fail to bridge regional divides
and sometimes exacerbate them.Especially in smaller countries, upgrading existing, slower networks often makes more sense.
Capacity can be increased with longertrains and extended platforms.
increase the average speed of journeys. Britain still has time to ditch this grand infrastructure project—and should.’ The
Economist. Read their articles here; 'The great train robbery' and 'Railroad to nowhere'.
Last month ConservativeHome polled tory party members and found their flagship HS2 policy was rated 19th out of 23
Manipulating the figures this way cant hide the fact that no poll has yet found a majority in favour.
went onto say "this scheme does not provide best value for money".
See this story and other poll results.
View HS2AA's HS2 consultation response (Q1-6 and Q7).
HS2AA responded to the Labour Party Transport Review. HS2 scores poorly against the criteria that labour have set.
Sound business advice from the Financial times ... 'The right response to the HS2 consultation is the one any Financial Times
reader would give to an enthusiastic young entrepreneur who produced similar documents. Come back when you have formulated
a proper business plan'
Are HS2 supporters really a load of NIMBYS? See our article in Total Politics highlighting the national media opposition to this
economically ridiculous project.
When examining the pros and cons of a new project, it is generally considered a good idea to examine how similar schemes
have worked out in other countries. This examination of how high-speed rail has fared abroad is hardly reassuring evidence
of the so-called benefits of HS2...
Philip Hammond and his supporters suggest HS2 is in the ‘national interest’ opposed only by a group of self-interested NIMBY’s.
Yet the evidence from the over-whelming majority of polls suggests exactly the opposite – national surveys highlight that the British
people do not want to spend £32 billion on a train line in an era of economic austerity.
Click here to see the compilation of polls.
There have been a wide range of polls conducted on HS2 by different organisations. The DfT survey shows the most favourable
support for HS2 but it preceded extensive public exposure to some of its problems. Overwhelmingly, the other polls, record at best
only about one third support, with many showing over 75% against HS2. When set against other priorities for transport expenditure,
the support for HS2 is even weaker. See our new page on Polls/Surveys.
To view the latest evidence we gave to the Transport Select Committee, please click here and download the document.
This is in addition to the evidence we previously gave for the committee's inquiry into HS2.
The latest figures highlight that passenger satisfaction for rail is higher in the UK than most of our European counterparts,
particularly Germany, France and Italy. The Euro-barometer Survey can be downloaded here. The results beg the question:
if UK passengers are comparatively content with their rail service, why spend £32 billion on a new line that lacks economic
benefits and will damage the environment?
Our detailed report on compensation is now available that investigates the issues raised by the HS2 consultation questions. Read
the full report or our Summary document of the recommended Property Bond Scheme. Last year people overwhelmingly supported
this type of scheme, but unless we ask for it again, it will not happen. If you agree with the recommendation please attach the one page
attachment to any HS2 Consultation Response forms and refer to it in your answer to Question 7.
If completing your response online you can send the attachment in a separate email to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
, giving your
name and postcode as a cross-reference, asking that the attachment be included in your consultation response.
Alternatives to HS2 offer improved infrastructure and deliver required capacity, according to our latest research. Click here for
the July 2011 document showing how both RP2 and optimised alternatives solutions offer realistic options for the future of rail travel.
Chair of the Chiltern Ridges Action Group, Ms Kathryn Gurney, has had her letter published in the Financial Times on 28 June 2011.
The letter attacks the disingenuous rhetoric and economic arguments put forward by Philip Hammond and the pro HS2 lobby.
The letter can be downloaded from this page.
New Quick Guide available to help you complete your HS2 consultation responses before 29 July 2011.
A recent poll undertaken by YouGov highlights that ‘more than half of people are opposed to high speed rail link’, reports
The Telegraph. Indeed, 59% of respondents said the scheme was ‘a waste of money’, and only 22% ‘approved’ of HS2.
According to an RAC survey, 84% of respondents thought road improvements should take priority over ‘big, expensive schemes’
such as HS2. Click here to read the full article by The Independent.
A report commissioned by the Transport Select Committee has shown that the benefits of the £32 billion rail link are ‘uncertain’.
Independent economic consultancy Oxera highlighted the economic doubts surrounding HS2, and the report has gained national
media attention in The Independent, The Guardian and The Telegraph.
HS2AA have recently published the latest version of their Review of the Business Case and also their 5 Key Arguments
Against the Economic Case.
All the written submissions to the Transport Select Committee can be found on their parliamentary website.
HS2AA has launched a ‘businesses against HS2’ initiative, where organisations that oppose the scheme can sign this simple
form to show their stance against the high speed rail line.
HS2 to cost every family in the UK £1000....or more. Despite the Yes to HS2 campaign suggesting otherwise, nuanced analysis
highlights the flaws in the Government’s figures, and the likely cost to taxpaying British families.
The Government and pro-HS2 campaigners often suggest HS2 will help bridge the North-South divide. Behind the rhetoric
and spin, a more sober look at the evidence draws different conclusions. This one page report includes what academics
have said to the Transport Select Committee during its inquiry into HS2. The verdict? That London stands to gain the most
from the project, undermining Government claims of vitality for the North.
HS2 gained media notoriety over the weekend of the 11th and 12th of June. The Telegraph ran two articles entitled:
High Speed 2 rail link: secret northern routes revealed
and High Speed 2 rail link: will your home be affected? Media interest stemmed from a new analysis of HS2 that revealed
a secret map of the second stage of the rail line - from Birmingham to Manchester / Leeds. It highlighted that HS2 would
cut through swathes of the country north of Birmingham whose residents are unaware that they will be affected.
The Government are currently consulting on the proposal for HS2 but have only published a map for the first stage of
the route. The work of anti-HS2 campaigners has helped uncover the full extent of the planned route.
HS2AA’s 16 May submission has been accepted by the Transport Select Committee for their inquiry into HS2. HS2AA has
also submitted supplementary evidence on the 3 June focusing on the Government’s dubious claims about the West Coast
Main Line. It is hoped and expected that the Transport Committee will take this evidence on board for their inquiry. HS2AA have
revised their previous Review of the Business Case for HS2 to be consistent with their latest analysis for the Select Committee.
This new version (v1.11 June 7th 2011) is now available.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) highlighted their campaign on HS2 proposals in the June edition of their
newsletter. Specifically, they wish the Government to review its approach to HS2 so that it genuinely cuts carbon emissions
and protects the beautiful countryside. They encourage their members to make their voices heard here.
An exciting new study has been published today by the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA) – an independent
group funded by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The study places a more precise
monetary value on natural resources and ecology. Click here to read the DEFRA press release or here for the
relevant discussion on Radio 4’s Today Programme.
Lord Adonis continues to present misleading statements on HS2 and in particular the alternatives. Click here to read
our response.
A new national campaign called 51M brings together thirteen local authorities to actively challenge HS2. The name of the campaign
represents how much this scheme will cost every Parliamentary Constituency...£51 million.
Getting the message across of just how much HS2 is costing us all. This advert was published today in the Government Gazette
and will later go into Total Politics.
Professor Cole suggests, in a Wales Online article that the HS2 would provide extra capacity and speedier connections to
London and the continent, and this would benefit Wales. In reality no HS2 trains will go anywhere in Wales, as HS2’s high speed
track has no spare capacity that could allow such services to be run. Unlike the TGV in France, HS2 is already planned to be
operating with a service frequency that is unachievable with existing technology, so adding more services is simply out of the
question. Read more of HS2AA's response here
HS2AA counter Yorkshire business leaders letter to the telegraph ("Business leaders believe high-speed rail will help northern
cities to grow", May 16) by stating that 'contrary to the rebalancing of the economy claimed for high-speed rail (HS2) in the letter,
evidence from around the world shows that such links can produce the opposite effect, sucking regional business and investment
to the capital'. Read HS2AA's published letter to the Telegraph.
During the ITV Central West news debate on Thursday 19th May, Philip Hammond states that the West Coast Main Line (WCML)
will be full by 2022, he has previously quoted that it will be full in 6 to 10 years time. But we can now reveal he is taking Network
Rail's statement entirely out of context. Network Rail only said this would be the outcome IF the recent 10%/annum growth on
WCML continued. Network Rail's own forecast says it will grow at about 2.5%/annum which means it will take about 38years to
fill up! Or if you use DfT's forecast it's more like 47years!! Further more, Hammond also said during the debate, WCML would be
'completely overcrowded by 2022' .
You will see in our 'When will West Coast Mainline be full?' article that only about 5% of all services will have passengers standing
by 2024! A bit different to Hammond's quote. ITV Central West are still running their poll on HS2, please go onto Facebook and vote.
"How on earth can the government justify spending millions of pounds on promoting the case for their eye-wateringly expensive
high speed rail white elephant at precisely the time they are having to cut costs and put up fares on existing rail services?"
comments HS2 Action Alliance to the McNulty report released yesterday (19 May 2011).
Watch interviews and speeches from the 'No to HS2' Rally in Great Missenden, 8 May 2011 here.
We in the anti campaign are not a hard hearted lot. In a moment of madness, in a break from my normal HS2 activity today,
I (Jerry Marshall) felt we should consider the troubles and suffering of the pro-HS2 lobby. Can you help?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk8j2I8eWc4
ITV Central News report on HS2 Consultation and Tax Payers' Alliance-organised conference.
http://www.itv.com/central-west/anti-hs2-meeting34058/
A note to prove that RP2 really does deliver 151% more capacity (and not the 54% that government say) on WCML
compared to 2008. It sources all the figures sourced form DfT's own documents (even the documents where they redid
the costs and benefits for RP2) HS2AA publish some key points to consider when responding to the HS2 Consultation
questions. Download the document here or go to our Consultation page.
The latest summary rebuttal of the 6 Myths about HS2, including references is available, also as a PDF
http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/events/event.cgi?id=306
The new 'Yes to High Speed Rail' campaign, much publicisized by Hammond last week (30 March) is trying to bust our
myths. But we have facts on our side. Read the latest version of 'Myth busting v the facts' from HS2AA to get the latest update.
An on-line poll by Labour last week showed just 7% in favour of the Government's proposals for HSR, - yes, that's 93% against.
Please feel free to use HS2AA's presentation material on the 'New HS2 Business Case', previously used as a short briefing
presentation to a number of groups.
HS2AA calls all Civil Engineers to cast their eyes over our 10 questions before deciding on how to contribute to the
Institute of Civil Engineers' response on the HS2 consultation questions, specifically question 2.
TaxPayers' Alliance release their new report on 'The Truth About High Speed Rail Capacity'. HS2AA have welcomed this: see
HS2AA press release.
See our latest Press Release on our review of the consultation business case 'HS2 Phase 1 to deliver just 30p for every
£1 invested'
criminal waste of scarce resources". See other quotes within Other Anti-HS2 Activity
Documents published by HS2AA can now be found under Media/News, Publications
HS2AA publish their latest Newsletter
Print off and use some of our promotional material