Commons Sense

Hansard-based summaries and metrics

HS2 Planning Assumptions Rail Travel Patterns 2023-07-13

2023-07-13

View full transcript on Parliament.uk -->
TAGS
Response quality

Questions & Answers

Q1 Partial Answer
John Spellar
▸ Context
The MP questioned the validity of HS2's planning assumptions in light of recent changes in rail travel patterns.
What assessment has been made of the potential impact of changed patterns of rail travel on the planning assumptions for HS2. I am concerned about how the ongoing case for HS2 would have had to be based on estimates of future passenger numbers, particularly for business travel and inter-city commuting. Following the pandemic, there has been a major change due to video conferencing and working from home.
Mark Harper
HS2 is a railway for the coming decades, not just the next few years. The pandemic should not affect the case for HS2. Business and commuter traffic is down following the pandemic, but leisure services have rebounded strongly with passenger numbers higher than pre-pandemic levels. High-speed trains are used by everyone in Japan, showing HS2 will free up capacity on the west coast main line and move freight from roads to rail.
▸ Assessment & feedback
Publication of latest projections of inter-city passenger numbers
Response accuracy
Q2 Partial Answer
John Spellar
▸ Context
The MP questioned the validity of HS2's planning assumptions in light of recent changes in rail travel patterns.
I thank the Secretary of State for that waffle. I actually asked him about the basic planning assumptions for this project, because the ongoing case for HS2 would have had to be based on estimates of future passenger numbers, particularly for business travel and inter-city commuting. Following the pandemic, we all know there has been a major change because of video conferencing and working from home.
Mark Harper
HS2 is a railway for the coming decades, not just the next few years. What happened during the pandemic should not affect the case for HS2. Business and commuter traffic is down following the pandemic, but leisure services have rebounded strongly with passenger numbers higher than pre-pandemic levels.
▸ Assessment & feedback
Publication of latest projections of inter-city passenger numbers
Response accuracy