Lichfield’s MP has questioned whether amendments to the HS2 project should see the city given its own station on any revamped plan for the line.
Speculation is mounting over whether or not the controversial high speed rail project will be scaled back.
National reports have suggested the northern leg of the line beyond Lichfield may not go ahead, while the southern stretch may also be terminated early.
Now Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant has questioned how the local community who have faced years of disruption may be able to benefit from any rethink..
He said:
“With growing speculation regarding the future of HS2, should Lichfield have its own HS2 station?
“With spiralling costs and the Government’s own Infrastructure and Projects Authority saying that delivery of High Speed 2 is ‘unachievable’, I have been pressing the Government to end construction of the line where it joins the West Coast Main Line at Handsacre if not scrap the whole thing.
“I don’t think the Government will do the latter as the cost of restoring the land would be astronomical, but ending the line at Handsacre makes sense as high speed trains can then carry on up north to Manchester and beyond using the existing track albeit not at 180mph.
“So far, Lichfield District has suffered all of the pain with none of the gain.
“I am now beginning to wonder whether there is now an argument for Lichfield to have its own station if it is now going to be the northern end of the high-speed line.
“The siting of the station could not be adjacent to the existing Lichfield Trent Valley station, but might be where the current HS2 site is placed just south of where the line tunnels underneath the A38 – there could be sufficient space for car parking and easy links to the A38.”
Michael Fabricant
Former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said over the weekend that it would be “crazy” if the government did not rethink HS2 due to continual increases in the cost of the project.
Sir Michael said the reasons not to have a new stop serving the district would reduce if the project was scaled back.
“If HS2 were to continue unchanged, a Lichfield station would not be on the cards – but if it were at the head of the line, the argument becomes much stronger.
“So, this is all hypothetical, but is possible from an engineering standpoint.
“The question is would Lichfield want this? I will be taking soundings with the district council and would welcome feedback from constituents.”
Michael Fabricant
What would be useful for thousands of visitors is if there were a station close to the National Memorial Arboretum.
Is there anything that this government hasn’t screwed up?
It’s destroyed our countryside. Sod the station.
Well, HS2 has descended into the farce that many of us predicted. So much of it has been, or will be, cancelled that it will not fulfil the purpose it was supposed to. Poorly conceived, atrociously planned, incompetently managed, with costs so far approaching 100 billion for no benefit. Let’s face it, whenever in the modern era have we ever completed a major project on time and within budget? It should have been scrapped several years ago, and should be even now.
Like so much of our Government’s efforts over the last 13 years, gross mismanagement and expensive ineptitude paid for with record taxation levels and massive government borrowing. Time for change.
Michael would welcome feedback from constituents!
Oh my, that would be a first. Perhaps he plans to use his regular surgeries to do this….
One guesses the new proposed HS22 station would only work to or from London. Not Northbound!!
HS2 has decimated the countryside. Ruined the lives and livelihoods of many along it’s route and the upheaval of travelling along the A38, especially not being able to exit at Streethay……for what ? All it was going to be was a rich man’s train.
If you look round it says no trains are expected to run from Euston on the HS2 line till 2041-43..
should have been 2026. It’s got to be scrapped there isn’t enough money to finish it. Wonder if it will ever get as far as rugby or Milton Keynes. The government has ripped the countryside apart for something that’s never going to ever be finished. Kicked people out of there homes. Forced farmers to sell their land that’s been in family’s for generations. It should be ashamed and be appolgising to these people. The land will never recover.
Mp’s need to get real. Doesn’t matter how much money or optimism you throw at HS2 it’s never going to be what it was advertised as. Lots of people could see it except the people in power. It’s been a running joke for many years. It’s needs shelving. We don’t have a good basic public transport system.
How’s may more trillions will it dovour before it’s canned ??
Oh my build a station now, whats wrong with the two we already have? Could not complete the changes to Grange Lane junction on time.
He never listened to us all those years ago. Totally destroyed our countryside and so many people’s lives, not just in Staffordshire. What a total waste of time and money. The government needs to make a FINAL decision and stick to it. We need a new MP he has been nothing but a waste of space
Let’s remember, both parties are to blame here and have their noses in the trough.
Maybe if the MP held a public meeting in the Guildhall then folk can come along and tell you what they think about HS2 and a few others subjects for good measure. A lively evening ensured. A bit rash to suggest a surgery at this late stage of this game but there is an election due so anything might happen.
It is highly improbable that freight will transfer back to train transport. The infrastructure to supply the vast warehouses we see all around is already in place. It is not just a case of getting freight from station to station, it would still require further transport to warehouses and all the administration that would require. Double and triple handling is always a potential disaster.
I have always thought that HS2 was a project for political and commercial gain. The supposed benefits were never good enough to justify the costs; even less the exponential increases that have evolved since.
It should be abandoned at the earliest economic possibility. Of course real infrastructure that would benefit communication affordable for ALL should always be in consideration. That would genuinely stimulate the economy.
Just think on how many Hospitals Schools and Public facilities could have been Built with the obscene amount of Money Spent already on HS2.
Our Countryside decimated and will never in many lifetimes recover.
Quite agree with AnnS,there is no easy way to get there without a car.Why would people down tick this comment?
3 stations in Lichfield? Absolutely daft idea.
@Mad Mike, I don’t understand why 3 stations would be a daft idea. We would have three different railway lines??! Having an HS2 station is better than not having one surely??
This could actually be a good idea if it enabled a one stop service to Birmingham as quick as Tamworth currently and would radically help the cross city line.
Smoke and mirrors from the Government and our MP. I find it almost impossible to understand the financing of the project. It would seem that for Phase One (Somewhere in London to Birmingham) will cost between 36 and 45 billion pounds (now there’s a margin for starters!). We have to assume that the government is funding this through borrowing, directly or indirectly as tax take is less than government spending. So we are in the hole for up to 45 billion, wow! So down the line (pun) it’s going to be a fire sale as the operator isn’t going to take on paying all of this this debt through fares.
So I guess finishing phase One is almost a must to try and recoup this debt otherwise what has been spent already is just written off.
Perhaps electrifying the Alrewas line up to Burton/Derby and making this a double line again and joining it to the Phase One/Two HS2 lines would allow high speed trains to run from the East Midlands at a relatively low capital cost. Oh goodness I don’t know!!!