Can the UK’s creaking transport infrastructure support economic growth? Alexander Peace tracks expansion and delays
Seven years since being proposed, HS2 has still not been officially signed off, despite millions of pounds of investment pouring into cities on the route, two bills in parliament and numerous reviews.
Crossrail, the UK’s next big infrastructure project, is set to open in 2018, though the £15bn project has been more than 25 years in the offing.
Meanwhile, the UK’s existing rail infrastructure creaks.
While George Osborne talks of a northern powerhouse and north-shoring starts to take shape, Estates Gazette analysis shows that the capacity of the main regional stations is being increasingly stressed.
On average, among the 11 largest regional city rail stations in the UK, there has been a 21% increase in annual passenger numbers in the last five years, while during that time, peak services have decreased by 1.7%.
This is not a problem restricted to intercity trains. In the South East, where more people are looking outside London for affordable housing, usage among the main 12 commuter stations has risen by 24.4%, while peak services have decreased by 0.7%.
London Underground usage has increased by 19%.
Osborne has earmarked £300m to fund northern transport links, while commentators have stressed the importance of increased connectivity. In the meantime, there was more than £6bn of investment into the top regional cities’ property markets in the year to Q1 2016, a 142% rise on 2010 investment volumes.
