| Article Index |
|---|
| Knowledge Exchange on Public Policy |
| Workshop 1 |
| Workshop 2 |
| Workshop 3 |
| Workshop 4 |
| Workshop 6 |
Workshop 6: High Speed Rail
12th February 2010 Glasgow
Facilitator Iain Docherty, Glasgow University
International input from Karin Elfstrom - East of Sweden Development Administration, and Lisa Rehnstrom - City of Norrkoping, Sweden
Attendees:
- Joseph Scott - Glasgow Commonwealth Games Development Partnership
- Jim Steer - Greengauge
- Riccardo Marini - City of Edinburgh Council
- Grahame Buchan - Glasgow Commonwealth Games Development Partnership
- John Preston - University of Southampton
- Mark Beecroft - CTR, Uni of Aberdeen
- Sara Thiam - Scottish government
- Chris Day - City of Edinburgh Council
- Ken Tippen - City of Edinburgh Council
- David Anderson - Transport Scotland
- Claire Keggie - Transport Scotland
- Tony Hughes - Glasgow City Council
- Jim Hunter - Edinburgh Napier University
- Kathryn Cooper - Renfrewshire Council
- Ron McAualay - Network Rail
A key part of the debate was the criteria for the location of the city centre terminals, with the case for put by the City of Edinburgh Council's 'City Design Leader', Riccardo Marini. He emphasised the need to ensure the best possible connections between high speed rail and local public transport and to use the investment in HSR as a catalyst for local economic development around the station, as for example at Lyon Part Dieu or Lille Europe stations in France.
There was a general consensus that city centre was best as this would offer the best connectivity to the existing network – however the agency likely to be responsible for deciding the location of any new station, Transport Scotland, had arguments in favour of a more peripheral location.In Glasgow the terminal could be at either Central or nearby along the Clyde as both offer good connectivity – Central better although a location near High Street would still offer some connectivity but with greater redevelopment potential. Glasgow City Council representatives were very positive about HSR.
Network Rail (the infrastructure operator) had some issues over existing station and line capacity however. Problems with the rest of network (particularly with respect to Glasgow suburban services) have to be addressed – it was agreed that a High Speed Line could not happen in isolation. There was little discussion of HSR from Edinburgh to Glasgow, with the majority of the discussion concentrating on how a line from London could serve Scotland.
The Swedish representatives, who have been promoting an HSR link that is about to open, showed that UK discussions are tending towards a similar set of solutions to those that have been implemented in Sweden; the challenge, as ever, is to implement these in the UK.
Download workshop presentations:
- CLICK HERE to download: "The Wider Economic Benefits of High Speed Rail"
- Professor John Preston, University of Southampton - CLICK HERE to download: "Metropolitan Competitiveness – The Opportunity Cost of Non-HST Connectivity"
- Dr Grahame Buchan, Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Strategic Development Planning Authority - CLICK HERE to download: "High Speed Rail: The case for Scotland"
- Claire Keggie, Transport Scotland - CLICK HERE to download: "What are the key benefits of HSR?"
- Jim Steer, Steer Davies Gleave