Left in the sidings (From The Northern Echo)

Left in the sidings

12:15pm Wednesday 11th January 2012 in Comment

THE Government deserves credit for having the courage to come up with a long-term vision for improving Britain’s railways.

The strategy to legislate for a highspeed network linking London and Birmingham (HS2) will inevitably lead to complex legal wrangles in the Conservative heartlands of the Home Counties, while delivering no electoral advantage by the next time the country goes to the polls in 2015.

The Government is on a hiding to nothing but it has rightly taken the view that revolutionising the railways requires bold, long-term planning.

The disappointment for the North- East lies in the lack of certainty about when the region can expect to share the benefits of high-speed rail travel.

Phase One of the project, between London and Birmingham, is expected to be running by 2026, but Phase Two to Manchester and Leeds would have to wait until 2033 at the earliest.

We understand the need for a staged development but there is a worrying lack of clarity over the legal standing of Phase Two to Leeds, and what happens after that to eventually extend the link to the North-East.

Transport Secretary Justine Greening told us yesterday that ministers would look at whether a legal commitment could be built into Phase Two. We welcome that statement of intent but there is a need for it to be firmed up if the North is to have confidence in the Government’s strategy.

In the meantime, with investment and attention being focused on HS2, what will become of an already overcrowded and absurdly expensive East Coast Main Line?

Some new trains, built by Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe, are planned but the North cannot afford to languish in the sidings of Britain’s railway revolution without a clear timetable for improvements.