Local services will be squeezed off the rail network if HS2 is not developed, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group (BCCG) has warned.
The Group, in its evidence to an All-Party Parliamentary Group’s inquiry into HS2, said rail travel in the UK was “a disaster waiting to happen”.
The Chamber argued that demand for rail travel would soon far exceed the UK’s capacity if nothing was done and pointed to standing room only trains leaving Birmingham as evidence.
Describing the situation as untenable, the response also argues that HS2 will safeguard local services by relieving pressures on the current West Coast Main Line, a Victorian piece of infrastructure, that has to serve fast inter-city trains, slow local services and freight services.
The Chamber argues that without HS2 local services will be squeezed off the network and contends that in order to control overcrowding passengers will be priced off the network.
Michael Ward, president of Birmingham Chamber, said: “HS2 offers us the chance to build national transport infrastructure around the needs of our 21st century economy. Currently we’ve shaped our economy around our Victorian infrastructure and it is high time that we begin to invest in our future.
“Transport is vital to the success of business and HS2 will create 22,000 jobs and add an extra £1.5 billion of investment into our economy every year.
“The Secretary of State has confirmed her commitment to HS2 but we must not become complacent. The Bill for the first leg of HS2 will take a number of years to make it through Parliament and we must ensure that it does so as quickly as possible and ensure that Parliament is clear that HS2 is vital to the future success of our economy. “