10 Membranes

» Green Gauge 21 Report

Enough to make a high speed rail geek like myself weep with joy, this, along with the Maglev proposal, is by far the most ambitious and interesting for HSR in the UK. While I am supportive of any initiative to get it going frankly a London-Birmingham route by 2025 is totally inadequate. Traveling in this country is already nightmare; by then it will be an outright impossibility. Green gauge 21 advocates a full network, with a west and east route running north, connections on the way up and spurs out into Wales and Stanstead. Heathrow would also be plugged into the system. Yes it would cost money, but the economic benefits to the country come in at a 3:1 ratio on the outlay. Yes, it will take time, yes the NIMBYs will shriek away as they always do, but I honestly believe this is something that is vital for the UK. Our continental peers have left us in the dust on HSR. We are antiquated, stagnant, overcrowded, over reliant on cars and unwilling to make the big investment and infrastructure decisions that can shape quality of life for generations. If I could make one law, it would be to enact this report.