Thread by @AdamWJT

The @Independent is calling this "the North's rail betrayal" and they're absolutely right. Talk about levelling down.

Lots of issues with this austerity-driven proposal. THREAD... 🧵 1/n

https://twitter.com/Independent/status/1452238631494721538

First and foremost, let's talk about capacity. Are the lines between the East Midlands and Yorkshire at capacity already? Predominantly, yes. I've had first-hand experience of this. 2/n

https://twitter.com/AdamWJT/status/1419272553957400584?t=jwfx7BpTizRvK8EyZXLPdA&s=19

The whole logic of #HS2, of which the eastern leg is an integral part, is to release capacity on *three* main lines, freeing them all up for new local services and freight. This logic relies on HS2 services beating current East Coast Mainline services to Leeds. 3/n

The thread from @Greens4HS2 below explains the logic of the eastern leg in detail.

Running a slow, austerity service is anti-green. 4/n

https://twitter.com/Greens4HS2/status/1418530467326971907?t=jwfx7BpTizRvK8EyZXLPdA&s=19

We've yet to see any service pattern for the austerity proposal, but the @Independent is reporting that through trains to York, the northeast of England and Edinburgh would not be able to run. This is a big win for the aviation industry. 5/n

Dismantling the supremacy of aviation—my preference would be to ban internal (i.e. intra-Britain) flights altogether—requires a project with the high speed (and indeed capacity) of #HS2. Both are impacted severely by the austerity proposal. 6/n

https://twitter.com/dpeilow/status/1359283901223604229?t=jwfx7BpTizRvK8EyZXLPdA&s=19

As well as being a huge issue for the environment, the austerity proposal for the eastern leg is a social justice issue.

Extra capacity = extra opportunity to reduce rail fares.

Restricted capacity = a rich man's rail network. 7/n

https://twitter.com/Greens4HS2/status/1424378199778242570?t=jwfx7BpTizRvK8EyZXLPdA&s=19

Let's take a look at the network which the austerity proposal would use. It is not resilient to the climate emergency. It is 19th-century infrastructure being using for a 21st-century problem. 8/n thestar.co.uk/news/transport…

The austerity proposal would apparently use the existing East Midlands Parkway station instead of the interchange at Toton, within the greater Nottingham conurbation. Lots of issues with this which are evident even from satellite imagery.

It's in the middle of nowhere. 9/n

To be frank, East Midlands Parkway is an isolated, car-centric mess whose primary purpose I assume is to serve the airport. It's gonna be fun getting a tram connection all the way out there, never mind useful active travel infrastructure. 10/n

It is 20th-century infrastructure for a 21st-century problem.

Transport policy to suit the Treasury rather than the environment.

We need to be arguing for the eastern leg of #HS2 to be delivered in full. 11/11