The HS2 debate was held at the Working Men's College on Saturday

Published: 13 November, 2013
by TOM FOOT

GOVERNMENT-backed reports making the economic case for HS2 are like the “dodgy dossiers” that convinced MPs to back the invasion of Iraq, according to a leading rail expert.

Chris Stokes was speaking at a packed debate at the Working Men’s College in Mornington Crescent on Saturday following the claim by a committee of MPs that a Department for Transport report’s figure of a £15billion boost to the economy from the scheme was “essentially made up”.

Mr Stokes, a “railway strategist” paid by the DfT to review overspending on big infrastructure projects, told the meeting: “The projections and figures have been dreamt up in a way that would not have disgraced Iraq. Do not believe the ‘Big Lie’. Euston peak load figures are right at the bottom nationally. Getting those figures was like extracting dragons’ teeth from the DfT.”

He read out figures showing Paddington station to have trains 99 per cent full at peak times, while at  Euston they were 60 per cent full.

The meeting – entitled “HS2: Grand Folly or Magic Bullet?” – was chaired by Professor Tony Travers, from the London School of Economics. Speakers in favour were consultant Jonathan Roberts, who has 40 years’ experience as a public policy consultant on transport, major projects and planning proposals, and George Muir, former director general of the Association of Train Operating Companies.

Mr Muir said people in 25 years’ time would still need to meet up with each other outside the virtual reality of the internet, adding: “Look at this meeting. We did not try and do this by video conferencing. If we flinch now, then in five years we will be regretting it. We don’t want future generations to be saying: why did they miss that opportunity?”

Richard Wellings, from the Institute of Economic Affairs, said huge amounts of taxpayers’ money were being spent by the government on promoting HS2 in “a clear breach of civil service code”.

Martin Sheppard, secretary of Gloucester Avenue Association, said pressing ahead with HS2 before legislation was passed next April was like a scene from Lewis Carroll’s children’s classic Alice in Wonderland. He said: “We have the verdict first, and the evidence later.”