Sick of trains stopping at Newark Northgate?

As I write this blog from my very slow train from London to Leeds, a political storm is brewing over the future of high speed rail.


All the main political parties used to support a high speed rail link between the North and South. Slight difference between them being that Labour also supports expansion at Heathrow whereas the Lib Dems and Tories see high speed rail as an alternative to this. There is also debate over whether the line itself should stretch to Heathrow, or whether there should be a shuttle between London and the airport, with Labour favouring the latter.

A new high speed line will take years of planning and building, so cross party agreement is essential. Today, the Tories turned down Labour’s offer to see the plans at an early stage- saying they wanted to reserve the right to change them should they win the election.

The Lib Dems suspect that this is a delaying tactic, stating that the Tories cannot be trusted with the UK’s railways. High speed rail is an expensive proposition, and as noted on this blog before, we ain’t exactly swimming in money.

So another day, another set of cross-party talks scuppered by a Tory. Are they really out to destroy long term planning, or is there a real objection to the route Labour is consulting on?

Either way, high speed rail is crucial to reducing congestion on the UK’s roads and making travel easier and greener for all of us. Who do you trust with the UK’s railways?

Poli-Chick xx