Evidence B- High speed rail

Evidence B- High Speed rail 

• A new high-speed rail network would transform the UK’s economic geography. It would bring cities closer, enable businesses to operate more productively, support employment and regeneration, provide a genuine alternative to domestic aviation, and create a platform for sustainable economic growth and prosperity. 
•  Y-shaped high-speed rail network (HS2) linking London to Birmingham, Manchester 
  and Leeds, including stops in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire, as well as direct 
  links to the HS1 line and into Heathrow Airport.
• this would cos a total of 32 bn also
• would generate wider benefits of £44 billion, as well as revenues totalling a further  
  £27 billion. 
• New high-speed links would enable the UK’s key urban centres to attract new businesses and directly access the economic strength of London and the South East. 
• The first phase alone would support the creation of more than 40,000 jobs and contribute to major regeneration programmes in Britain’s inner cities.
• this would also cut journey times
• referred to as the 'engine of growth'

• Prof Tomany states that in fact the evidence seems to suggest that it's the capital cities which gain principally from these developments."
• Professor Tomaney highlights that there is little evidence of actually reducing regional inequalities through the introduction of the high-speed line. This has not been the case in several countries including France, South Korea and Spain. He argued, "A very good example would be the Madrid to Seville line in Spain. That line was built in order to promote the growth of Seville. But in actual fact, following its completion, Madrid grew at a much faster rate than Seville.”politicians have been suggesting the HS2 development will “heal the north-south divide.
• However some people fail to see the postive benefits towards the building of the HS2.