High Speed 2 (HS2) is a proposed train line, which will link London to cities further north. The plan will increase passenger capacity.
Phase one is to create a line between London and the West Midlands by 22026. Trains will run at speeds of up to 400 km per hour and 14 trains will run per hour.
Phase two will extend the line in two branches from Birmingham, one branch running to Leeds and one branch to Manchester.
There are many arguments both for and agains this project. Some are listed below:
For:
High speed rail will provide a green, safe and efficient form of transport.
Journey times between London and Birmingham will only be one hour.
The project will be a major boost to businesses and the economy in Birmingham and in London.
Carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced as less people will be travelling by car or plane.
There will be less congestion and fewer accidents on the roads, especially in some gridlocked cities.
Jobs will be provided building and running HS2.
Hopefully it will lessen the north/south divide in terms of job availability, wealth and house prices.
Costs will be spread out over 15-20 years, so it is affordable.
Trees will be planted along tracks and there will be 'green tunnels'.
Property prices at either end of the line will increase considerably.
Against:
The cost of the project is escalating and is now forecast to be £42.6 billion.
As an alternative, train length could be increased on existing routes, therefore saving money and environmental destruction.
This project will only benefit a small section of the population.
Business people can work on a train using Wifi; this brings into question the necessity to have a high speed train.
There will be a great deal of environmental destruction to create the track and electricity pylons, especially to the green belt of London and the Chilterns.
It is not entirely definite that there will be adequate demand for this service.
There will most certainly be noise and visual pollution associated with the project leading to a decrease in living standards for many and a permanent change in the character of many towns and villages.
The price of homes will decrease for those who live near the line by 25-35 per cent. Homes on the proposed line will be compulsory purchased.
The towns of Amersham and the villages of Great Missenden, Culworth and Eydon will all be negatively affected.
Tourism will be negatively affected in areas such as the Chilterns.
83 hectares of woodland will be adversely affected.
The migration patterns of some wildlife will be affected.
The tunnel at Amersham could disrupt the balance of the River Misbourne and may cause a lake to to dry up.
Tunnels could also affect underground reservoirs of water which could disrupt water supplies for north Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.