FTA calls for HS2 commitment

The FTA has urged the government to confirm its commitment to the future of HS2.

The high speed rail project has been beset by spiralling costs, with many calling on the government to scrap the idea.

Alex Veitch, FTA’s head of multimodal policy, said: “FTA and its members are excited about the prospect of HS2 and what it can deliver for the logistics industry. With HS2 trains able to carry over 300,000 people per day, the shift in traffic will release capacity on existing rail lines which can be used for freight.

“Allowing more freight to travel by rail will ease congestion on our busy road infrastructure, with HS2 predicting that its first phase alone could free up rail freight capacity equivalent to around 1,500 lorries every day”.

Veitch is asking the government to guarantee that capacity released by HS2 will not be pre-allocated to passenger services, but instead made available for bids from freight operators.

He said: “While there are always strong pressures on government to favour passenger operators, our members need a guarantee that they will receive fair treatment and fair access to capacity released by HS2.”