Regular readers of my blog will remember that a couple of years ago I blogged about the then HS2 consultation and broadly came out in favour of the proposals (http://chrislucas.mycouncillor.org.uk/2011/03/02/what-shall-we-do-about-hs2). Since then, there has been a lot of discussion about the plans – in particular the proposed routes – and in that time the ‘No’s have got themselves organised, with political support, professionally trained spokespeople, well designed websites, social media groups – even organised lobbying at party conferences! Even with all this noise coming from the ‘No’ camp however, my position hasn’t changed – in fact if anything, my support for HS2 has increased. In my mind, anything that a) takes cars off the road, b) takes planes out of the sky, c) reduces capacity on already creaking train lines, d) speeds up journey times between the north and the south, e) creates jobs, f) is a long term capital investment for the country, g) helps to modernise our transport provision (not to mention might help to better distribute wealth, jobs and housing away from London & the South East) has GOT to be a good thing! So I welcome the government’s announcement yesterday spelling out the preferred route, the proposed budget  and the proposed length of time until completion (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21221828).

I realise that unfortunately some of the countryside will have to be dug up and communities affected but what we’ll have in it’s place will also be a thing of beauty and enjoyed by many for generations to come. I’m disappointed that even some of my own Lib Dem colleagues have come out against HS2 when support for high speed rail links formed part of our 2010 general election manifesto.

So well done to Norman Baker (Lib Dem Transport Minister) and the other Lib Dems in government for making this happen! Now we have HS1 linking London to the East (and Europe!), HS2 linking London to the North and, thanks once again to Lib Dems in government, we have electrification coming to the Great Western Train Line from London to as far as Bristol. Could the case now be made to develop ‘HS3’ and make these lines high speed instead – or at the very least, extend the electrification of the tracks beyond Bristol further in to Devon and Cornwall…? I’m sure Norman Baker would also welcome faster train links to Hastings and his own constituency of Lewes.

With all our economic challenges and Tory backbench opposition, it would have been very easy for Cameron to try to kick HS2 in to the long grass. But with Lib Dem involvement as part of a coalition government, projects such as HS2 will continue to be made a priority.