HS2 will be the UK's zero carbon alternative for long-distance travel. It will reduce the need for car, lorry and plane journeys playing a vital role in delivering the Government's ambitious goal of Britain becoming net zero carbon by 2050.
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But HS2 is quite controversial. Those who support the project say it will improve transport times, create jobs and help the country's economy. Critics of it though, are worried about how it will impact wildlife, the countryside, their homes and how much it will cost.
Organisations. Organisations that support the HS2 project include: The three major UK political parties: Conservative, Labour (albeit with some criticism of the proposed route) and the Liberal Democrats. In Labour's 2019 manifesto the party said it would extend the dedicated high-speed track to Scotland.
The HS2 Action Alliance criticised the Department of Transport's demand forecasts as being too high, as well as having other shortcomings in the assessment methodology. Action Groups Against High Speed Two (AGHAST) claimed in 2011 that the project was not viable economically.
The main gain of HS2 is that it frees up space on the rail network for more freight services. This point has often been missed in discussions about the project. There is no doubt that there would be environmental gains. The passenger gains are less compelling and less urgent.
The HS2 rail line has been given an unachievable rating by an official watchdog. It has been given a red warning for its first two phases - from London to Birmingham then onto Crewe - by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
While HS2 Ltd. has failed to meet the key schedule performance mark, it says it remains on course to complete the work well in the range of 2029 to 2033. But when the line will reach the central London terminal at Euston is still unknown. With costs rising, the government paused work at Euston in March.
Other groups opposing HS2 include the HS2 Action Alliance, The Wildlife Trusts and the Woodland Trust. The group has a chairperson, a treasurer and a campaign manager, relying on donations to pay them. In 2011, it made a fundraiser to pay its campaign manager Joe Rukin.
In his speech in Manchester, Mr Sunak said the economic case for the line was no longer justified due to spiralling costs. He said a new Network North would be prioritised instead of HS2.
It Won't Help and May Hurt the Economy. Studies have found that high-?speed trains can generate new economic development near the stations where the trains stop. However, the same studies show that economic development slows in communities not served by such trains.
Operation: HS2 will be powered by zero carbon electricity. Construction: Net zero for construction from 2035. Scope 3 emissions include all other indirect emissions in an organisation's value chain.
As the low carbon alternative for long distance travel, HS2 will help the country's fight against climate change. It will take cars and lorries off the roads and reduce the need for domestic flights, making transport, Britain's largest carbon emitter, more environmentally friendly.
It was hoped HS2 would cut journey times, create more space on the rail network and boost jobs outside London. But there had been concerns about the mounting costs of the infrastructure project, with the latest estimates for the project amounting to about £71bn.