Birmingham to London in 45 minutes – the big debate

• Mar. 3 by Clare Anne (4)

Travelling from Birmingham to London in 45 minutes could soon become a reality for Midland commuters but it has caused a debate about it’s environmental impact.

This railway is already being hailed by the national newspapers as a ‘victory’ that could ‘bridge the North/South divide’ but it has been criticised by Birmingham Friends of the Earth, who said that the claims of it reducing CO2 emissions are ‘extremely optimistic at best’.

The proposed £34 billion high-speed rail link, or HS2 as it is referred to, is set to slash journey times by more than half in the 2020s and is a welcome move by Network Rail for some commuters.

The plans are part of New Street Stations regeneration programme and they plot the train travelling between Scotland and London via Birmingham and Manchester.

There has even been some talk of the HS2 line extending to Paris, drastically cutting the current crossing time on the EuroStar.

Environmental issues

Despite that the HS2 line is still almost ten years away from becoming a fixture on the West Midlands countryside, it is still overshadowed by doubt.

Birmingham Friends of the Earth said:

“The most serious damage to the environment will be caused if we take the wrong decisions in the next five years during which time we need to ensure that CO2 emissions start falling globally.

It is also important to protect biodiversity and habitats in this country, so it is essential that the route for any new rail services is considered very carefully.”

The group are still to be convinced over the apparent benefits of such a scheme:

“…We are not sure that these up. 1/2 an hour off journey times to London does not seem a good enough benefit, so there would have to be proven benefits including a package of measures around it for us to be convinced.”

Positive side

Many commuters, regardless of the potential environmental issues, would welcome the HS2 lines:

Senior Lecturer at Birmingham City University, Paul Bradshaw, says:

“Yes I would (use high-speed trains). Off peak times are getting shorter so you only have a 1-2 hour window for meetings”

Student Jessica Dutton adds:

“I travel to London for work placements and sometimes use the London Midland service because it’s cheaper, however it takes a lot longer. I would definitely use a high speed train service as I am not fond of travelling.”