HS2 Ltd awards four contracts

 HS2 Ltd awards four contracts for civil and structural design services.

HS2.org press release (pdf, 20kb)

 

Transport Committee – Select Committee Announcement

Transport Committee

Select Committee Announcement

17 January 2012
For Immediate Release: SCA 120/2010–12

Special REPORT: High speed rail (Government response)

· Inquiry: High Speed Rail
· The Transport Committee

The Committee has agreed to publish its Twelfth Special Report of Session 2010–12, High Speed Rail: Government Response to the Committee’s Tenth Report of Session 2010-12 (HC 1754), at 00.01 am on Monday 23 January.

The report will be available on The Stationery Office (TSO) Ltd’s website and the Committee’s website shortly after the publication hour has passed: Transport Committee Publications.

The Report may also be purchased from TSO—Tel: 08457 023474.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

The Transport Committee published its report, High Speed Rail (HC 1185-I), on 8 November 2011

Committee Membership is as follows:
Mrs Louise Ellman (Labour/Co-operative, Liverpool Riverside) (Chair); Steve Baker (Conservative, Wycombe); Jim Dobbin (Labour/Co-operative, Heywood and Middleton); Mr Tom Harris (Labour, Glasgow South); Julie Hilling (Labour, Bolton West); Kwasi Kwarteng (Conservative, Spelthorne); Mr John Leech (Liberal Democrat, Manchester Withington); Paul Maynard (Conservative, Blackpool North and Cleveleys); Iain Stewart (Conservative, Milton Keynes South); Graham Stringer (Labour, Blackley and Broughton); Julian Sturdy (Conservative, York Outer).

Specific Committee Information: transcom@parliament.uk 020 7219 6263/3266

Media Information: Hannah Pearce pearcehm@parliament.uk 020 7219 8430

Committee Website: www.parliament.uk/transcom

Watch committees and parliamentary debates online: www.parliamentlive.tv

Publications / Reports / Reference Material: Copies of all select committee reports are available from the Parliamentary Bookshop (12 Bridge St, Westminster, 020 7219 3890) or the Stationery Office (0845 7023474). Committee reports, press releases, evidence transcripts, Bills; research papers, a directory of MPs, plus Hansard (from 8am daily) and much more, can be found on www.parliament.uk

HS2: London to Birmingham high speed rail route seen from the sky

 Helicopter footage shows the approximate route to be taken by the proposed high speed rail link between London and Birmingham.

Article from The Daily Telegraph (Tuesday 17th January 2012)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/9003263/HS2-London-to-Birmingham-high-speed-rail-route-seen-from-the-sky.html

HS2 and house prices: what the high-speed rail link means to you. (Article in The Guardian)

More than 65% of the responses to HS2 consultation mentioned property. Here’s what the go-ahead could mean for your house.

The HS2 scheme, which has now got the go-ahead from the government, will have a huge impact on homeowners in the areas surrounding the proposed line.

The high-speed rail link will cut journey times by 30 minutes between London and Birmingham, and is the first part of a scheme which will eventually see trains running at speeds of up to 225mph to Manchester and Leeds.

But fear about disruption caused by the construction of the line, and the ongoing noise caused by the fastest train ever run, has already had an impact on the housing markets in some of the areas affected, with homeowners reporting an inability to sell, or that prices have been hit. The government says that out of 55,000 responses to a consultation on the plans, 36,036 (more than 65%) mentioned property.

Read the full article online.

HS2: Transport Secretary Justine Greening’s full statement

The Secretary of State for Transport (Justine Greening): The consultation High speed rail: Investing in Britain’s future was one of the largest national consultations ever undertaken by the Department for Transport. 54,909 responses were received, from individuals, businesses and organisations across the country. It is clear from the consultation that a national high speed rail network – High Speed 2 – generates strong feelings, both in favour and against the scheme.

Since becoming Secretary of State for Transport I have taken time to consider all aspects of the consultation proposals and the evidence arising from both consultation responses and further work undertaken or commissioned by my Department and HS2 Ltd. This statement summarises my decisions.

I have decided Britain should embark upon the most significant transport infrastructure project since the building of the motorways by supporting the development and delivery of a new national high speed rail network. By following in the footsteps of the 19th century railway pioneers, the Government is signalling its commitment to providing 21st century infrastructure and connections – laying the groundwork for long-term, sustainable economic growth.

High Speed 2 (HS2) is a scheme to deliver hugely enhanced rail capacity and connectivity between Britain’s major conurbations. It is the largest transport infrastructure investment in the UK for a generation, and, with the exception of High Speed 1 (HS1), is the first major new railway line since the Victorian era.

The HS2 Y network will provide direct, high capacity, high speed links between London, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, with intermediate stations in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire. There will also be direct links to Heathrow Airport and to the Continent via the HS1 line. It will form a foundation for a potentially wider high speed network in years to come.

HS2 will be built in two phases to ensure that the benefits of high speed rail are realised at the earliest possible opportunity. The line from London to the West Midlands and the connection to HS1 are expected to open in 2026, followed, in 2032-33, by the onward legs to Manchester and Leeds and the connection to Heathrow. The capital cost at 2011 prices of building the complete Y network is £32.7 billion. At present values, it will generate benefits of up to £47 billion and fare revenues of up to £34 billion over a 60-year period.

The benefits of HS2 will extend beyond the network itself; links to current lines will enable direct trains to run to cities such as Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow and Edinburgh and, with long-distance services transferring to the new network, space will be freed up for new commuter, regional and freight services on other lines, opening up new opportunities for Britain’s existing railways. Links to key urban transport networks, such as Crossrail, will help to spread the benefits further still.

HS2 is entirely consistent with the Government’s objectives for carbon emissions. Electrified rail is a comparatively low-carbon mode of transport, especially with the continued decarbonisation of the grid. Speed increases power consumption, but also makes HS2 more attractive to those currently flying or driving. The faster journeys on HS2 – Edinburgh and Glasgow will be just 3.5 hours from London – could transfer around 4.5 million journeys per year who might otherwise have travelled by air and 9 million from the roads. HS2 will also create more rail capacity on existing conventional speed lines for freight – removing lorries from our busy trunk roads. HS2 is therefore an important part of transport’s low-carbon future.

In securing these benefits for our country, I am committed to developing a network with the lowest feasible impacts on local communities and the natural environment. I have been mindful that we must safeguard the natural environment as far as possible, both for the benefit of those enjoying our beautiful countryside today and for future generations.

People living along the line of route highlighted particular concerns and provided constructive and thoughtful comments about the London to West Midlands route proposed at consultation. Following careful study by my engineers I can announce a package of alterations to further reduce the route’s impacts. The changes mean that more than half the route will now be mitigated by tunnel or cutting and there will also be a reduction in the impacts on people and communities, ancient woodlands and important heritage sites.

The changes include:

• A longer, continuous tunnel from Little Missenden to the M25 through the Chilterns;
• A new 2.75 mile (4.4 km) bored tunnel along the Northolt Corridor to entirely avoid major works to the Chilterns Line and impacts on local communities in the Ruislip area;
• A longer green tunnel past Chipping Warden and Aston Le Walls, and to curve the route to avoid a cluster of important heritage sites around Edgcote; and,
• A longer green tunnel to significantly reduce impacts around Wendover, and an extension to the green tunnel at South Heath.

The revised route offers considerable improvements to communities, with the number of dwellings at risk of land take almost halving and the number experiencing increased noise levels reducing by a third. Despite these improvements to limit the negative impacts of the line, HS2 will inevitably affect some homeowners, communities and businesses. To help those affected, we will bring in a package of measures, which are over and above what affected homeowners are already entitled to under law. These include:

• A streamlined purchase scheme to simplify the statutory blight process for property owners;
• A sale and rent back scheme to give homeowners within the safeguarded area more flexibility;
• A streamlined small claims scheme for construction damage which will allow individuals and businesses who are entitled to compensation under existing law to claim it more quickly and simply;
• A package of measures to reinforce confidence in properties above tunnels. Homeowners will be offered before and after surveys, a thorough assessment of the impact of similar tunnels, an explanation of the measures that will be taken to prevent perceptible vibration impacts, financial compensation for the compulsory purchase of subsoil, and a legally binding promise that HS2 will be permanently responsible for resolving any related settlement or subsidence issues; and,
• A refreshed hardship-based property purchase scheme.

Finally, we will work constructively with local authorities along the line of route to minimise the negative consequences of HS2 and maximise the benefits.

In November I announced the Triennial Review of HS2 Ltd, and in making my decision I have accepted the finding that HS2 Ltd is the appropriate body to continue undertaking this work.

Today I have presented to Parliament a full account of my decisions titled High speed rail: Investing in Britain’s future – decisions and next steps. My Department has published a series of supporting documents which set out in further detail the basis on which I have reached my decisions. All of this material is available at www​.dft​.gov​.uk/​h​i​g​h​s​p​e​e​d​r​ail.

Council reacts to HS2 announcement

 

Council reacts to HS2 announcement

Warwickshire County Council has responded to the decision of the Transport Secretary on high speed rail.

Cllr Bob Stevens, Deputy Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “We are disappointed that the Transport Secretary has decided to go ahead with the HS2 scheme. It will have a devastating impact on the countryside and it will have little benefit for us. The county council remains committed to protecting Warwickshire’s heritage, environment and communities.

“We based our strong opposition to the scheme on the fact that it presents a flawed business case and offers poor value for money to the taxpayer. It is an expensive project which we believe will have only a very limited impact on the regional economy and certainly nowhere near as substantial as estimated in some quarters. There will also be unquantifiable hidden costs to the local authority.

“Now that HS2 is to proceed, we must ensure that the interests of Warwickshire residents are best served. In the immediate future, we will continue to work with the 51M Group to put forward the county’s case against this scheme.”

Cllr Alan Cockburn, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Communities, added: ““It is too early to examine the detailed impact of the line on us but the county council will continue to work on behalf of the residents of Warwickshire. The county council’s project team has full council support to engage with the necessary authorities to protect Warwickshire’s interests and integrity in light of the decision to proceed.

“We should pay tribute to the various action groups who have carefully and intelligently researched the proposals, articulated their objections and backed up their assertions with evidence.”

Triennial Review of NDPBs – HS2 Ltd

Delivered by:	The Rt Hon Justine Greening MP
Publisher:	Department for Transport
Delivered date:	8 November 2011
Type:	Written statement
Mode/topic:	Rail, High Speed Rail

The Secretary of State for Transport (Justine Greening): Reducing the number and cost of public bodies is a Coalition priority. The Triennial Review process has been established to continue our work ensuring accountability in public life by examining all NDPBs at least once every three years. I am announcing today the Triennial Review of HS2 Ltd. This review has two aims:

• to provide a robust challenge of the continuing need for this NDPB – both its functions and form; and,
• if it is agreed that it should remain as an NDPB, to review the control and governance arrangements in place to ensure that the public body is complying with recognised principles of good corporate governance.

The Triennial Review will build upon the internal review of the body conducted earlier this year.

I will announce the findings of the review later this year in line with the decision on the response to the consultation on high speed rail.

If you would like further information, or to contribute to the review, please contact my Department or highspeedrail@​dft.​gov.​uk.

I remain committed to the ongoing review of public bodies and my department continues to work with the Cabinet Office to develop forward plans of reviews.

There is still time to write to your MP and to express your views about the scheme

The consultation on the HS2 proposals closed on 29 July but this doesn’t mean that your views can’t still be heard.

There is still time to write to your MP and to express your concerns about the scheme. The contact details for local MPs can be found on the Warwickshire web site or you can find details on the Parliament website.

You may want to send them a copy of your response to the consultation or just make a couple of clear points about the scheme and what it will mean for you.

Cabinet responds to high speed rail plan

   A report to Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet has highlighted its opposition to the Government’s high speed rail scheme in response to the public consultation.

The report highlights the arguments against HS2 and, if agreed by Cabinet on Thursday (July 14), it will form the county official response to the consultation which ends on July 29.

Last month the Overview and Scrutiny Committee discussed the report and councillors quizzed Martin Capstick, the Director responsible for HS2 at the Department for Transport, and HS2 Ltd Director of Communications Miranda Carter.

(Read more…)

 

 

 

 

 

 

County council responds on high speed rail

  County council responds on high speed rail

 
22 June 2011
Warwickshire County Council has outlined its opposition to
the Government’s high speed rail scheme in its draft
response to the public consultation.

A report to the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee
highlights the arguments against HS2 ahead of the county
council submitting an official response.

Central to Warwickshire’s opposition to the £32 billion
scheme is the lack of consideration being given to the
alternatives to HS2 and that it offers poor value for money
for the taxpayer, together with a flawed economic case. HS2
Ltd, the company behind the scheme, has won support from
some businesses, but in fact 70 per cent of the anticipated
passengers will be leisure users. (Read more…)