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View offers Hi {{fullName}} * My Independent Premium * Account details * Help centre * Logout (BUTTON) Voices > Editorials Now we learn that HS2 will cause 'far worse' damage than expected, it confirms this is a flawed project Wherever you look, in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, the north and southwest of England and London commuter services, there are better, quicker and cheaper transport investments * Editorial @IndyVoices * Saturday 13 October 2018 15:45 {{^moreThanTen}} * {{total}} comments {{/moreThanTen}} * The greatest argument against HS2 is its opportunity cost: that its huge price tag is money that could be better spent elsewhere ( Reuters ) We report today that HS2, the planned high-speed railway from London to Birmingham and the north of England, is going to cause “far worse” damage to homes, businesses and the environment on its route than feared. This should come as a surprise no more than the news that the project will cost more than originally planned, or that its army of consultants and bureaucrats are paying themselves generously for their work on this flawed project. The Independent has long expressed its reservations about the scheme. We understand that capacity on the existing east and west coast main lines is already stretched, and that the second London to Birmingham line, from Marylebone, will soon also be full. But we were never persuaded that this particular scheme was the best use of the vast capital resources that would be devoted to it. Download the new Indpendent Premium app Sharing the full story, not just the headlines (BUTTON) Download now Support free-thinking journalism and subscribe to Independent Minds Our scepticism was vindicated by the near-collapse this year of Northern rail services. It would be more important to the economy of Manchester, Liverpool and the surrounding areas to invest more in upgrading local rail services in the next few years than to provide another fast link to London in 2033. The same story is playing out in other parts of the country. In one of his first decisions as transport secretary, Chris Grayling cancelled rail electrification projects in south Wales, the Midland Main Line and the Lake District. Wherever you look, in Scotland, Northern Ireland (where the railways are still wholly in public ownership), the southwest and London commuter services, there are economic benefits that could be brought by increased investment that would accrue decades before anything that would come through from HS2. And that is before we even consider the case for improved bus services, which would be cheaper and would benefit more people on lower incomes than subsidies for the railways, which tend to be used by the better-off. Against electric or hybrid buses, or new forms of low-carbon ride sharing, even the environmental case for rail megaprojects is weakening fast. Created with Sketch. UK news in pictures Show all 50 Created with Sketch. Created with Sketch. (BUTTON) Created with Sketch. UK news in pictures 1/50 6 January 2020 Protesters in London take part in a demonstration in support of a British woman found guilty of lying about being gang raped in Cyprus AP 2/50 5 January 2020 Protesters demonstrate outside the US Embassy in London, after America killed Iran's general Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike at Baghdad's international airport PA 3/50 4 January 2020 Metropolitan police cordon off Charteris Road close to the junction with Lennox Road in Finsbury Park in north London, after a man was stabbed to death on Friday evening, the first murder in London in 2020 PA 4/50 3 January 2020 Protesters, holding a photograph of the leader of the People's Mujahedin of Iran Massoud Rajavi, outside Downing Street in London after the US killed General Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike at Baghdad's international airport. 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Soleimani was head of Tehran's elite Quds Force and Iran's top general PA 5/50 2 January 2020 A keeper counts squirrel-monkeys at London Zoo during the annual stocktake. Caring for more than 500 different species, ZSL London Zoo's keepers face the challenging task of tallying up every mammal, bird, reptile, fish and invertebrate at the Zoo AP 6/50 1 January 2020 Peter Wright celebrates winning with the Sid Waddell trophy at the Darts World Championships in London. He stunned Michael van Gerwen to clinch his first title 7-3 PA 7/50 31 December 2019 Surfers at Tynemouth on the north east coast PA 8/50 30 December 2019 Deer graze in the morning mist as cyclists ride by in Richmond Park, London Reuters 9/50 29 December 2019 Night sky after the sunset at Whitley Bay in Northumberland PA 10/50 28 December 2019 The Harlequins players arrive at the stadium prior to the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Big Game 12 match between Harlequins and Leicester Tigers at Twickenahm Stadium Getty Images for Harlequins 11/50 27 December 2019 A car drives through floodwater near Harbridge, north of Ringwood in Hampshire, after the river Avon burst its banks PA 12/50 26 December 2019 Participants in the Old Surrey and West Kent Boxing Day Hunt in Chiddingstone. Hunting with horses and hounds is a Boxing Day tradition. Since the fox hunting ban in 2004, modified hunts take place using scented trails for the animals to follow EPA 13/50 25 December 2019 Swimmers of the Serpentine Swimming Club take part in the Peter Pan Cup race, which is held every Christmas Day at the Serpentine, in central London PA 14/50 24 December 2019 Shoppers bid for cuts of meat during a Christmas Eve auction in Smithfield market in London EPA 15/50 23 December 2019 Reggie the dog is rescued with a boat from flooding at the Little Venice Country Park and Marina in Maidstone AFP via Getty 16/50 22 December 2019 People gather at Stonehenge in Wiltshire to mark the winter solstice, and to witness the sunrise after the longest night of the year PA 17/50 21 December 2019 Southampton's Jack Stephens scores their second goal against Aston Villa Reuters 18/50 20 December 2019 The coffin arrives for the funeral of London Bridge terror attack victim Jack Merritt at Great St Mary's Church in Cambridge PA 19/50 19 December 2019 Queen Elizabeth II and her son Prince Charles walk behind the Imperial State Crown as they proccess through the Royal Gallery, before the Queen's Speech, during the State Opening of Parliament AFP via Getty 20/50 18 December 2019 Luke Jerram's art installation 'Gaia', a replica of planet earth created using detailed Nasa imagery of the Earth's surface, hangs on display at the Eden Project in St Austell, Cornwall PA 21/50 17 December 2019 A surfer gets into the festive spirit at the inland surfing lagoon at The Wave, near Bristol PA 22/50 16 December 2019 Snowy conditions near Deepdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park as snow hits parts of the UK PA 23/50 15 December 2019 Oisin Carson, 5, picks a Christmas tree at Wicklow Way Christmas tree farm in Roundwood PA 24/50 14 December 2019 First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, takes a selfie as she joins the SNPs newly elected MPs for a group photo outside the V&A Museum in Dundee, Scotland Getty Images 25/50 13 December 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds arrive back at Downing Street after the results for the general election were announced. The Conservative Party won with an overall majority EPA 26/50 12 December 2019 A dog outside a polling station during the general election in Northumberland Reuters 27/50 11 December 2019 Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson stands between a Stop Brexit sign as she attends a general election campaign event at Esher Rugby Club, south west London. Britain will go to the polls tomorrow to vote AFP via Getty 28/50 10 December 2019 A surfer off the North East coast at Tynemouth PA 29/50 9 December 2019 Leah Rossiter (left) and Ceara Carney, dressed as mermaids, join members of the Irish Wildlife Trust and Extinction Rebellion Ireland protesting outside Leinster House in Dublin, against overfishing in Irish Waters PA 30/50 8 December 2019 Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn poses for selfies with supporters at a general election rally in Colwyn Bay, north Wales AFP via Getty 31/50 7 December 2019 Speedo Mick outside the stadium before the Premier League match between Everton and Chelsea at Goodison Park Action Images via Reuters 32/50 6 December 2019 A climate activist wearing a mask and holding a placard reading 'Fossil fuel era is over' outside Millbank Studios in London AP 33/50 5 December 2019 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon with the SNP campaign bus in front of the Queensferry Crossing, while on the General Election campaign trail in Scotland PA 34/50 4 December 2019 The Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square, which is given every year by the city of Oslo as a token of Norwegian gratitude to the people of London for their assistance during the Second World War PA 35/50 3 December 2019 Protesters against the visit of US President Trump during a demonstration near Buckingham Palace on the first day of the Nato Summit in London EPA 36/50 2 December 2019 England captain Joe Root celebrates reaching his double century during day 4 of the second Test match against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton, New Zealand Getty 37/50 1 December 2019 A hard frost is seen on the first day of the meteorological winter in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters 38/50 30 November 2019 A police officer looks at flowers left at London Bridge in central London, after a terrorist wearing a fake suicide vest who went on a knife rampage killing two people, and was shot dead by police PA 39/50 29 November 2019 School children and students take part in the Youth Strike for Climate in London as part of the Fridays for Future Global Climate Strike Angela Christofilou/The Independent 40/50 28 November 2019 Cyclists make their way up a tree lined hill near to Moor Crichel in Dorset. November's dismal weather will finally change, with drier and colder conditions coming for the start of December, forecasters have said PA 41/50 27 November 2019 The moment a swan flew over a flock of 60,000 starlings as dusk fell on Whixall Moss Nature Reserve in Shropshire Andrew Fusek Peters / SWNS 42/50 26 November 2019 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon plays with local children during a visit to the Jelly Tots & Cookies Play Cafe in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire PA 43/50 25 November 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses with sheep as he visits the Royal Welsh Showground, in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, whilst on the General Election campaign trail PA 44/50 24 November 2019 Cush Jumbo attends the 65th Evening Standard Theatre Awards at London Coliseum Getty Images 45/50 23 November 2019 Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn meets a supporter on a train on his return from a visit to Sheffield PA 46/50 22 November 2019 Gallery assistants adjust 'The Ancient Town of Uglich' by Konstantin Yuon, 1913, estimated at £600,000 to £800,000, during a press preview of the sale of works by some of the most pre-eminent creators of Russian art at Sotheby's in London PA 47/50 21 November 2019 A mother seal appears to hug her pup as grey seals return to Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late autumn and winter to give birth PA 48/50 20 November 2019 After Mauricio Pochettino's sacking the eveninfg before newly appointed Tottenham head coach, Jose Mourinho, takes his first training session in charge Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty 49/50 19 November 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to Jimmy Egan's Boxing Academy at Wythenshawe, while on the campaign trail ahead of the General Election PA 50/50 18 November 2019 Mist over Buttermere lake in the Lake District PA All of which is to say that the greatest argument against HS2 is its opportunity cost: that its huge price tag is money that could be better spent elsewhere. The questions that should be asked, therefore, are whether it is too late to stop the project, and whether it is realistic to try. The major construction phase is about to start and, even if there were an early election, Labour committed itself to “complete” HS2 in its manifesto last year. So it would make sense to assume that the first phase, at least, from London to Birmingham, is likely to go ahead. But even as it does we should not allow it to distract from better, quicker and cheaper transport investments that would bring bigger and earlier benefits to the rest of the country. 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