Inadequacies In UK’s New High Speed Train Plan

Network Rail, the massive spender of taxpayers subsidies has come out with a new plan today to warm the cockles of David Cameron. A rail fantasy with deep Freudian overtones; Big trains that go really fast etc.

Yes, the Tories have said they want less airports and more trains. And is if by Magic, a shiny new plan is presented. Ah, travelling from Glasgow to London in 2 hours 15 mins (do you think many people will be buying return tickets though?).

However, this huge project will cost billions. Transport is one area where Government has to invest as the private market does not really work due to the ‘tyranny of the majority’ (everyone wants it but no one wants to pay).

But what we really need to help everyone in the country are new and better roads. 80% of journeys are by road. Far more people use cars than trains. As much as we need to improve the rail infrastructure, we need to upgrade the roads too.

Even global warming obsessives can see cars are here to stay. They may be electric or work on biofuel, but cars are not an invention that will be uninvented.

Only 10% of road taxes (£45 billion) are spent on roads. Neither Labour nor Tory are car friendly; as such neither can claim to be populist as this would require being cognisant that the majority of voters are road users and would like better infrastructure.

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