‘What’s the point of HS2?’ is the title of a good article in the London Review of Books by Christian Wolmar, a well-known commentator and author on railway matters. He outlines the history of the high speed rail project and the current state of play, exercising critical yet balanced judgement. He perhaps underestimates the growth of demand for rail travel resulting from declining car ownership and use in London in particular, but there is inevitable uncertainty about any projection of future travel demand. Overall, a fairly agnostic conclusion, which I largely share.
