Transport bosses have raised alarm bells, suggesting that the decision to scrap the northern phase of HS2 could lead to increased traffic congestion and more lorries on the road, reports The Independent.
Initially designed to alleviate road congestion and carbon emissions by shifting freight from roads to rail, HS2 was expected to create space for an additional 20 freight paths on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). Each freight train was estimated to remove up to 76 lorries from the roads, reducing road congestion and emissions.
However, as The Independent further notes, the cancellation of the project has raised concerns about the ability of the existing rail network to handle the increasing demand for both passenger and freight services.
The UK’s rail network, built over a century ago, has seen rail travel more than double over the last two decades. It is said that upgrading existing lines, as an alternative to building the first phase of HS2, would lead to significant passenger disruptions and only deliver a fraction of the capacity that a new railway line would provide.
Moreover, The Independent highlights that the cancellation of HS2’s northern phase could lead to a significant increase in road traffic, affecting both road congestion and carbon emissions. Figures suggest that the cancellation of this rail line could result in approximately 500,000 additional lorry trips on the roads, equivalent to an extra journey a year for every registered heavy goods vehicle (HGV) in Britain.
As reported by Lancashire Business View, businesses that were counting on the new capacity created by HS2 have criticized the government’s move, warning that it could impact the UK’s global trade and supply chain. Without the added capacity from HS2, plans to improve the UK’s freight and passenger services will be restricted.
The UK’s freight and postal industry is expected to grow in the coming years, with the rising popularity of online shopping and home delivery. In light of these changes, the cancellation of HS2 raises questions about the industry’s ability to continue offering reliable, efficient, and competitive services to meet increasing demand.
On the other hand, critics of HS2 argue that the project was too costly, disruptive, and risky for the environment. They suggest alternative solutions for improving rail capacity and connectivity in the UK, such as investing in digital signaling, electrifying existing lines, upgrading regional networks, and exploring new technologies like maglev or hyperloop.
The cancellation of HS2 is a complex and contentious issue that has significant implications for various sectors and stakeholders in the UK. The freight and postal industry is one of them, and it faces both challenges and opportunities in the future. Whether HS2 could have been a game-changer for this industry is a matter of debate, but what is clear is that a modern and efficient rail network is essential for its continued growth and success.
In response to the cancellation of HS2, Logistics UK has stated that itself and other industry bodies in the logistics and transport sectors have called for a new approach to strategic transport infrastructure decisions.
They emphasize the need for a clear, long-term plan that endures across political cycles to avoid disruptions caused by stop-start decisions. This includes a commitment to infrastructure investment within the upcoming Autumn Statement and in party manifestos ahead of the next election, providing much-needed stability for the logistics industry and the economy.
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