Shadow Secretary of State on high speed & maglev
UK Ultraspeed warmly welcomes the comments by Shadow Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, in the November issue of Transport Times.
Based on an interview by Adam Raphael, the Transport Times article contains the following.
Taking pot shots at ministerial failures is easy, producing solutions more difficult. But significantly, in contrast to the government’s scepticism, the Conservatives are seriously investigating the prospects for high-speed rail in Britain. “We believe that it can play a significant role,” says Ms Villiers. “We think it is a pity that we are so far behind other countries in Europe. In our first term of office, we hope that, in addition to feasibility studies, we will have a pilot project for either high-speed rail or Maglev.” Party research to be published within the next two months will focus on the case for dedicated high-speed passenger rail routes as well as the feasibility of dedicated freight lines.
Ms Villiers is critical of Sir Rod Eddington’s report which dismissed what was sneeringly referred to as “grands projets”. “I don’t agree with the conclusions of the Eddington report. We have to start planning these things if we are to get them off the ground. It was a mistake to dismiss [high-speed rail] out of hand, particularly as both West and East Coast main lines are going to be full to capacity. The arguments for an additional fast link will become more and more pressing.”
The shadow transport secretary says she wants to have firm plans for high-speed links by the time the Conservatives come to power. “I want us to have some very clear ideas about what we want to do – either conventional high-speed or Maglev – and to have done a significant amount of the preparatory work so that when we are in government, we can start delivering within a reasonable timescale.”
UK Ultraspeed applauds the recognition that a decision between high speed rail and maglev must be taken; that preparatory work should start sooner rather than later; and that a pilot project in the lifetime of the next parliament is a feasible target.
UK Ultraspeed remains committed to working with policy-makers and political leaders across the board, to prove the case for maglev in the UK on the economic, transport and environmental grounds.
Conservatives consider maglev
Friday, 23 November 2007
