High-speed rail: Little improvement on CO2, but journey times slashed

The planned £17.4 bn high-speed railway between London and Birmingham is unlikely to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 0.3 per cent of current emissions from transport. The Department for Transport describes the London-to-Birmingham route as ‘carbon neutral’.

The London to Birmingham route is planned to open in 2026 and is part of a larger £30 bn, Y-shaped route splitting off from Birmingham to go westwards to Manchester and eastwards to Sheffield and Leeds.

Journey times between London and Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield will be reduced to 75 minutes.

No new motorways

The government’s decision to press ahead with high-speed rail signals the end of intercity motorway building. Lord Adonis, the transport secretary, said he not envisage building another generation of intercity motorways.

Furthermore, he believes it is “manifestly in the public interest” for the 46 million passengers who take a domestic flight in Britain each year to switch to a 250 mph north-south rail line of the future.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “This high speed rail network, whilst extremely welcome, does not in itself do away with the demand for domestic air travel or new roads – the only rational and equitable way to change travel patterns is to implement a carbon tax that applies to all modes of transport.”