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HIGH-SPEED HYPOCRISY?
It might surprise Ian Walmsley (‘Pan Up’, last month) that I am among the persistent critics of HS2, given that my innovative research measuring the relationship between speed and demand contributed both to the incremental easing of speed restrictions on the East Coast main line and to the business case for the InterCity 125 trains.
At university and as a traffic apprentice I was taught the importance of analysing situations, devising and evaluating options and making as rational a decision as possible. Mr Walmsley seems unaware of the extent to which HS2 has failed this test.
It did not spring from a careful assessment of the whole rail network: there are gaps that could probably transfer more journeys from roads than HS2 will (only 5% of its traffic will be abstracted from road or air).
