High-speed rail: do the sums add up?

THE FRIDAY THING: GRAHAM STRINGER, one of the North-West’s leading MPs, has emerged as a major supporter of the HS2 rail link.

He claims Manchester will benefit from the new high-speed line more than any other city on its route — even London.

There is opposition from people who don’t think it’s worth spending £42 billion on a rail network that will only decrease journey times from say, Manchester to London, by 20 minutes.

Many are worried about the environmental impact; and questions are asked about the need for a new line when there is already a pretty good service.

Passionate supporters claim the new line will boost the economy by £15 billion a year. But such figures are easy to spout.

On a considerably smaller scale there have been lots of figures flying about on the benefits to Oldham of the Metrolink network. Will there be any major benefit to Oldham? Will the Metrolink bring more people into Oldham than it takes out?

It is the same with HS2: will it bring more business to Manchester and other key cities along its route or will London, as usual, be the main beneficiary?

The new line, up to Birmingham, is due to open in 2026 and the second phase to Manchester in 2033. Both dates are speculative and costs likely to rise dramatically.

And goodness knows what will be charged for a ticket...