Liverpool will suffer if opponents get their way

It would seem that the Anti-HS2 campaign group StopHS2 is determined to drag Liverpool into the HS2 debate and use the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester as a way of leverage support from Liverpool for there single minded anti-HS2 campaign. Individuals from Liverpool are already poised to get into bed with StopHS2 as they feel Liverpool will lose out to Manchester due to the journey time difference once the line is extended, this was compounded by a anti-HS2 funded report that was sent to the Liverpool DP proclaiming that the Dft has cut Liverpool's connection further North. A claim which was successfully rebutted here.


StopHS2 are now playing on the fears of Liverpudlians and are happily tweeting about the demise of Liverpool should the line be extended further North. I'm not angered by the fact that StopHS2 are using this despicable tactic, it's to be expected when there so much personal self interest riding on this. What does annoy me though is that those opposing HS2 have the gall to say that they care about the North and Liverpool. 


The public could be forgiven for believing that those behind StopHS2 really do care about tax payers and do actually care about Liverpool's plight, they do after all make a good emotive case and know all of the manipulation tricks in the book. So it may come as a surprise to those who have been sucked in by the opposition to find out that far from caring about Liverpool, the implications of the so called "alternative" favoured by anti-HS2 campaigners would have a dire consequences for Liverpool 


Let looks at the argument used by StopHS2, they claim that Liverpool will lose out economically if the journey time to Liverpool is longer than that to Manchester. This despite StopHS2 insistence that journey time savings do not benefit regional economies, this has been at heart of their argument against HS2 from the start. 


If we forget this argument for the moment and look at capacity, opponents claim that Liverpool will see a reduction in seating capacity due to HS2, despite a doubling of rail services from the city to London after the introduction of HS2 services in 2026. 


So HS2 is bad for Liverpool is it? Depends if you believe Liverpool will need additional capacity in the future or not? Those opposed to HS2 certainly don't seem to think it will, not according to the so called "alternative" that they have been working on for almost 2 years.


Lets take a look at the following "alternative" WCML services diagram.

If you look closely at the diagram which is designed to "future proof" the WCML, you can see it provides Liverpool with exactly the same number of services that the city already receives today, perhaps then opponents plan to provide longer trains? But no, as a kick in the teeth for Liverpool the architects of this master plan (51M) say the 12 car Pendolinos that have been proposed to increase capacity will not operate out of Liverpool Lime Street.  51M have conceded that lengthening the platforms at Lime Street to allow 12 car Pendolinos to operate would be too costly. So Liverpool will be left with the 11 car Pendolinos that it will be getting later this year anyway. The shock outcome of the above diagram is that Liverpool will be left with 11 car Pendolinos from Dec 12 until eternity, with no prospect of additional services to London in the future as the vast majority of North West capacity is given the Manchester. 


So to clarify, StopHS2 is claiming Liverpool will lose out to Manchester if HS2 goes ahead, whilst at the same time promoting an alternative that gives extra capacity for Manchester in the form of greater numbers trains which will be longer than those serving Liverpool, with the outcome being that Liverpool will see no net capacity gain beyond Dec 2012, with no journey time savings what so ever.


For those Liverpudlians tempted join the StopHS2 campaign I would seriously consider the alternative that they propose first. For more information regarding how this "alternative" will have devastating consequences for other towns and cities click here.