Page 82 - 360.revista de alta velocidad Nº1

360.revista de alta velocidad
360.

beauty” and home to many well- The government’s own analysis for nearly half of its visitors. The
off voters. Second, the business predicts that seven in ten of the plans “send a message that
case for the line: the projected new jobs the project helps to Coventry is not a place to stop”,
doubling of long-distance rail use create will be in the South East. says George Duggins, deputy
by 2043 seems ambitious. leader of the city’s council.
Less tested is the coalition’s A deeper, and mistaken, Municipal leaders in Stoke-on-
assertion that the line will geographical belief may be at Trent are already aggrieved that
transform the prospects of the work in the minds of the Whitehall the new “enterprise zones” in
north of England, and ameliorate technocrats behind the venture. Birmingham and Manchester,
the north-south divide in Britain’s It is that “the north” is somehow which enjoy preferential tax
economy and prosperity. Mr a single, homogeneous place (a treatment, have drawn
Hammond says high-speed rail is view encouraged by the signs to investment from their city. Some
a “once-in-a-generation” “The North” on motorways local businessmen are now
opportunity to reshape the heading out of London). It isn’t. lobbying for an additional stop
country’s economic geography. In fact the putative link, designed on the highspeed route. For
Most of the other countries that to bridge the north-south divide, others, high-speed rail is a
have made big investments in would barely even reach the distraction from more urgent
high-speed lines, such as China, north proper: Birmingham is in needs: regeneration of the local
Italy and Spain, have likewise the Midlands; Manchester and area cannot wait until its effects
adduced the supposed benefits Leeds are only around 170 miles are felt in 20 years’ time, argues
to regional development. from London; Britain stretches Mark Meredith, a local Labour
Yet Britain’s infrastructure another 300-plus miles beyond councillor.
demands are different from other them. And even if high-speed
countries’. Its regular trains are does boost the cities it connects, One-track mind
already faster than most other it won’t necessarily help the That such an infrastructure
nations’ equivalents. Britain is whole region. The underlying project would benefit over-mighty
sufficiently small that even assumption of high-speed rail is London and the South East is not
without pricey futuristic that proximity to London, necessarily a problem. In London
technology, Manchester and Leeds measured in journey times, is GDP per head is 1.7 times the
are only just over two hours from key to regeneration. But some national average. If that grows,
London. And a greater proportion of those precious minutes would so does the economy as a whole.
of the population is already be saved by making fewer stops, But this is not the government’s
connected to the road and rail while train frequency on the intended aim.
network than elsewhere in traditional west-coast main line Sir Rod Eddington, a former boss
Europe. will be cut. So for a number of of British Airways, argued in a
It is also doubtful whether the places in the Midlands and the 2006 review of Britain’s transport
proposed link would do much to north, the new rail link will make needs that mature economies
address regional variations. The London farther away by travel rarely see huge benefits from a
effect of such projects in other time. single project. “The risk is that
countries has often been to transport policy can become the
strengthen the competitive It isn’t only Stoke-on-Trent that pursuit of icons,” Sir Rod warned.
advantage of an already dominant may suffer. Other places that are The government seems not to
city. In France, more businesses well-served by current timetables have listened. The £32 billion at
have relocated their headquarters but which the new line would its disposal might well yield a
to the capital since the Paris- bypass, such as Crewe and Rugby, higher return if it were spent on
Lyon high-speed line opened in will also be hit. Trains on the old less glitzy schemes, such as road
1981. Since a new Spanish railroad line might make more stops; improvements and intra-city
opened in 1992, Madrid’s business passengers might be forced to transport initiatives. If the aim
population has swelled at the take indirect routes. Coventry, is to regenerate “the north”, the
expense of Seville. Far from for example, which currently has current plan might prove a high-
strengthening the north, then, a three fast trains to London an speed route in the wrong
high-speed line might end up hour, expects to lose out on direction.
accentuating regional disparities. business travel, which accounts

82 360.revista de alta velocidad/ número 1 • noviembre 2011