Sound demo aims to ease HS2 fears

Hammond says High Speed Two could provide 160 extra services a day as roadshow attempts to win over opponents Commuters in towns and cities on the High Speed Two rail route will benefit from 160 extra services a day into the capital if a new London-to-Birmingham line is built, the government has claimed. In the latest attempt to win over sceptical home counties residents about the £17bn project, the transport secretary, Philip Hammond, has launched a sound simulation of the 225mph route and is seeking to convince passengers who live near the line that extra space will be created on the nearby West Coast and Chiltern lines. According to the Department for Transport, the biggest beneficiaries could be Milton Keynes, which could see services increase by 90%, Northampton, with a near-50% rise, and Tamworth and Lichfield, with 80% increases. None of these will have a station on the line, and Lichfield residents have expressed concerns about the route’s proximity to the town. Having admitted that the environmental case is weaker than expected, and ratcheted down the business benefits of the line, the government is now targeting commuters in an attempt to overcome strong local opposition. Hammond said: “Our proposed new high-speed rail network would free up a huge amount of space on current railways for more trains to operate. Building a whole new line would create scope for people who live near the current stations to get more frequent services that are less crowded – I would also hope that this additional competition could mean cheaper fares as well.” He said commuters in some towns, such as Milton Keynes, could see a near doubling in the number of trains from their station to London. “The reality is that many of our current trains are full and too many people have to stand – we desperately need the extra trains and capacity that a new high-speed rail network would bring.” The HS2 roadshow will include sound booths that play simulations of the route in four locations: Northolt in west London; Great Missenden and Wendover in Buckinghamshire; and Ladbroke in Warwickshire. The 3D system, created by the engineering firm Arup, uses sound recordings taken from French TGV high-speed services and lays them over background recordings taken from the four locations. Arup stressed that the clip given to the Guardian is a reduced and simplified version of the roadshow recordings. However, opposition to the line remains fierce in the countryside sections of the 140-mile route. Julian Smyth-Osbourne, spokesman for HS2 Action Alliance, said: “How loud or quiet the high-speed train may be is an issue for the poor people who live and work near the line. “What is becoming increasingly clear is that HS2 will be a white elephant costing billions that will be a millstone round all of our necks for generations to come and that is an issue for every single one of us.” Rail transport Transport policy Transport Rail travel Dan Milmo guardian.co.uk

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