Wrong signals over rail link

Supporters of high-speed rail in Greater Manchester are not using the right message to overcome objectors in southern England, says Oldham’s Mayor and transport expert Richard Knowles.

Councillor Knowles told the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee that the new line that would carry 200mph trains is needed because the West Coast Main Line to London is filling up fast.

“It is not just about knocking 20 minutes off the journey,” said Councillor Knowles, Professor of Transport Geography at Salford University. “It is about expanding capacity between the main cities.

“The West Coast Main Line is already at capacity in the peak at Piccadilly.”

Some opponents are proposing upgrading the West Coast Main Line as an alternative but Councillor Knowles said: “We all remember the weekends and months of closures when they did the last upgrade. To do it again would mean the disruption and the cost would be as much.

“The question is not do we have High Speed 2 or not, it is do we have High Speed 2 or very expensive and very disruptive work on the West Coast Main Line.”