In his latest column, Steven Broomhead says it is time to ditch HS2 and spend the money on health instead

RAILWAYS are in the news for all the wrong reasons at the moment as the principles of reliability, predictability and punctuality seem not to be the key drivers of those who lead manage our railways.

Guess we are all looking forward to the recovery action plans?

I would like to add to the debate by making a simple proposition – scrap the HS2 plans and move the resource to support our health and social care system.

HS2 is now expected to cost £63 billion, up from its agreed 2010 estimate of £32.7 billion.

At approximately £410 million per mile for the proposed 350 miles of track it will be the most expensive investment in the world.

We also know that railway infrastructure cost estimates are always massively understated.

We also know that at present, the plans proposed for Warrington promise significant environmental impacts and demonstrate all pain and no gain as the HS2 route passes without stopping in our town.

What is really to be gained by reducing the current 110 minutes non-stop journey time to London with a service that will have to stop at Crewe to ‘split’ in two?

The stated economic benefits are also somewhat delusional.

Recently the NHS announced that the budgets of our hospitals are overspent by nearly £1 billion.

In Cheshire and Merseyside the figure is nearly £100 million – despite attempts to manage costs and demands.

Although, as I said in this column before, efficiencies could be made without damaging patient care and access.

Clearly this situation cannot be allowed to continue.

So it is now about time for a rethink on the issue.

Scrap HS2 now before it goes too far and you begin to hear the cries of you can’t stop it because of the ‘national interest’.

Making such a bold decision would mean that the NHS and social care added costs could be protected for the next 10 plus years – thus avoiding any additional potential new personal taxes and it might also perhaps allow for some modest investment into our two main railway stations at Bank Quay and Central which really deserve and need it.