Press Release

    Judgement day for High Speed Rail

    10 March 2010

    As the country awaits plans for a new London to Birmingham High Speed Rail (HSR) line, due to be announced tomorrow (Thursday), the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) is calling for the plans to live up to environmental expectations.

    HSR has been promoted as an answer to rising carbon emissions, gaps between regional economies and unemployment. CPRE has published five tests which it says the new line, known as High Speed 2 (HS2), should meet if it is to match the hype while protecting the countryside.

    CPRE's five tests have won the support of a wide range of organisations. CPRE is calling for any new HSR lines to:

    Protect the local environment
    Tackle climate change and minimise energy needs
    Shift existing trips rather than generate new ones
    Improve local transport
    Integrate with planning and regeneration

    Ralph Smyth, CPRE's senior transport campaigner, says: "New rail lines can be green as well as good value for money. But this all depends on how routes are chosen and how well they integrate into the wider transport system. So CPRE will be judging HS2 carefully against our five tests for sustainable High Speed Rail."

    CPRE is a supporter of an expanded rail network as well as defender of the countryside. CPRE was heavily involved at both a national level and through its extensive network of local groups during the planning of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (now know as HS1) through Kent. Widespread community engagement helped ensure that HS1 received local support and met high environmental standards. CPRE believes this approach should be followed for HS2.

    The controversy over the proposed Third Runway at Heathrow and current legal challenge by CPRE shows what happens when developers try to ride roughshod over local communities.

    Ralph Smyth continues: "High Speed Rail (HSR) could be the low carbon backbone of a sustainable transport system. But communities need to be involved in the planning process and any damage to the countryside needs to be minimised. Careful routing and landscaping of the new line combined with measures to limit flights are needed for HS2 to live up to its promise."

    CPRE has more information about High Speed Rail on its website:
    www.cpre.org.uk/campaigns/transport/rail/highspeedrail