¶ … people using rail in the country has grown by 50 per cent and is mainly driven by sensitivity to the environmental. As a result the government has introduced an investment in a railway network and service improvements that will sustain the growth. This project has triggered some debate where some feel that the network is necessary and that it will benefit those who are inclined to use rail as a preferred means of transportation. The government through the department of transportation makes a case for the development of the line arguing that the line will link major centres in the UK. The line is expected to benefit businesses by improving the links between the major terminals thereby saving time and creating more job and business opportunities. In addition, HS2 is most likely to reduce a substantial amount of CO2 emissions as recommended by the Climate Change Act 2008. Introduction

Department for Transport (2009), reveal that rail passenger in the country has grown by 50 per cent driven by sensitivity to the environmental. This has led to the establishment of the first investment in a railway network and service improvements that will sustain the growth. The government commissioned the £15.9bn new east-west line with the capacity of 200 million people a year and is due in 2017. The High Speed 2 (HS2) is a proposed railway that will provide alternative connection to various destinations from the Midlands in England, Northern England, and possibly the middle Scotland belt. The project will be managed by High Speed Two Ltd., which is commissioned by the United Kingdom government. The main route is expected to take the shape of letter "Y" from London and Birmingham then dividing into two leading to Manchester, and the other to Leeds through East Midlands. This line is to be constructed in stages with the first one being that between London and Birmingham, which will be an express route.

Background

The HS2 has sparked much public debate. There are those who feel that the network is necessary and that it will benefit those who are increasingly...

The Department of transportation makes a case for the development of the line arguing that there is need for a high speed rail network linking "London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds through East Midlands and South Yorkshire" (Department of Transport 2011).[footnoteRef:1] The Department further predict that their strategic assessment indicate that HS2 between London and Birmingham would be the leading stage of a network that will revolutionize rail transport in the United Kingdom. This will offer favourable economic case both on its own and as part of the broader network.[footnoteRef:2] However, other has argued that the line is unnecessary because it is expensive and will not address the pertinent transportation issues in the country. [1: Department of Transport 2011, Economic Case for HS2, viewed 16 December 2012, .] [2: Ibid]
Literature Review

HS2 (2011 ), in a paper set to examine the demand for rail travel, conclude that there has been considerable growth in demand for long distance rail travel. The higher income segment are more willing to travel by rail and make more trips a fact attributed to economic and population growth.[footnoteRef:3] In their paper, they reveal that their forecasts continue the past growth, but at a minimal level than earlier mentioned. They predict that long distance rail just as air travel will continue to grow at a fast rate as compared to other transportation means.[footnoteRef:4] In differrent report, HS2 (2011 ) examine the economic impacts of the HS2. The report indicate that the project will have considerable [3: HS2 2011, Demand for Long Distance Travel, viewed 16 December 2012.] [4: Ibid]

impacts on the areas that it will serve and that there could also be benefit from other transport network.[footnoteRef:5] The report goes further to reveal that greatest impact would be from direct benefits from the users themselves. The forecast suggest a £21,900 million as value of present benefits and a further 82% of this to be transportation benefits and 18% on broader economic impact.[footnoteRef:6] On the contrary, AGAHST Federation (2011), reveal in their manifesto that the plan for a High Speed 2 railway line will offer little help to the majority of people and is quite expensive, which will add to the public debt. The federation assert that the HS2 fails to address many current transport issues. There is an alternative that is capable of addressing a wide range of…