Rail plans 'are a waste of public money'

Friday, March 12th 2010

Britons wanting to travel to London from areas such as Manchester and Leeds could see a more efficient journey following proposals from transport secretary Lord Andrew Adonis.

But director of Transport Watch Paul Withrington said the journeys would not be cost-effective.

Lord Adonis published plans for the link yesterday (March 11th) and said that it would revolutionise travel in the UK.

The 'Y'-shaped 335 mile network would mean that getting to London from the West Midlands would take around half an hour.

But Mr Withrington said: "It is such a waste of money … It will never be recouped. It will be a burden on the taxpayer until the end of time."

This is because the majority of train journeys in the country are short ones and most travellers will not benefit from the high speed line.

According to the National Rail Trends survey from the Office of Rail Regulation, total franchised passenger revenue was at £1,522 million in 2009-10, which was a 2.4 per cent rise from the year before.