High speed rail line good news for UK engineering
Plans to build a new £32billion high speed rail line between London and Birmingham have been given the go-ahead by government.
Transport Secretary Justine Greening announced this morning that the first phase of the High Speed Two (HS2) could be running by 2026, with additional lines from London to Manchester and Leeds expected to be complete by 2032/33.
The news has been welcomed by the UK's engineering community, with industry bodies such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) pledging their support.
In a statement released today, the IMechE said the new scheme would help to revitalise the country's creaking transport infrastructure and take the UK railway system into the 21st Century.
It maintained, however, that the £32bn should be used to invest in UK jobs and skills. "The country needs to invest in and nurture its engineering talent," it said.
HS2 is expected to convey up to 26,000 people each hour at speeds of up to 250mph. The government expects it to eventually result in 9million road journeys and 4.5m journeys by plane instead being taken by train every year.
Greening said: "A new high speed rail network will provide Britain with the additional train seats, connections and speed to stay ahead of the congestion challenge and help create jobs, growth and prosperity for the entire country.
"More than a century ago the Victorians built railways that continue to serve us to this day and just over 50 years ago the post-war generation chose to invest in motorways, bringing higher road capacity and faster journeys to millions.
"Both transformed the economic and social fabric of this country: HS2 is our generation's investment in Britain."
