Anti-rail group go the distance

campaigners against the Government’s controversial HS2 high-speed rail project — the second phase of which will see a Y-shaped route going north to Leeds and Manchester — will go ahead with court action in a bid to halt the £32bn scheme.

HS2 Action Alliance (HS2AA) is seeking two judicial reviews of the scheme, whose first phase will see 200mph trains running through Tory heartlands between London and Birmingham.

The group said one of the reviews it was seeking dealt with environmental issues and the other was about “fighting for a fair deal for compensation.”

HS2AA, which works with more than 70 local groups opposed to HS2, said that in dealing with the environment and compensation, the Government failed to follow the proper processes. HS2AA said that if proper processes had been followed, the Government would have reached a different conclusion about HS2. HS2AA said it had “a brilliant response to its appeals for funds for taking legal action over the January (Government) decision on HS2”.

The group went on: “In a matter of a few weeks, thousands of ordinary people in communities from London to Staffordshire and beyond have responded to the appeals, giving most generously, and raising the six–figure sum that was needed.

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“We have two strong legal teams who are specialists in their fields and believe we have two powerful cases that the Government must now answer.”

HS2AA said the Government had 21 days from today to respond, with a judge being allocated to review the arguments and decide if there is a case to answer.

The first phase of HS2 is expected to be completed in 2026, with the second phase ready around 2032/33.
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