HS2 rail project touts ‘carbon benefits’ through increased freight capacity 

West Coast main line and M1 motorway, southern England

Can’t blame the promoters for claiming their monster rail project is a benefit to all and sundry, by any means available. It’s obviously part of their job to try and do so. Cue climate propaganda.
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The project promoter has said that HS2 will enable new train paths on the existing network which can be used to move more goods by rail, and has released a new video to demonstrate this potential, reports New Civil Engineer.

The video uses Derby-based rail freight company DC Rail, which specialises in moving construction materials by rail, as an example. The firm is part of construction firm Cappagh Group which is currently constructing a new rail freight terminal in Wembley, on the West Coast Main Line, that will help it offer new rail services to customers in London.

HS2 Ltd has said that building HS2 will free up a “massive amount of space” by moving high speed services onto dedicated tracks to free up more train paths on the existing network for freight.

“The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-use railway in Europe and is effectively full, meaning there is a lack of additional space to run more freight services on it,” said a spokesperson for HS2. “HS2 will change that, and once further phases of the railway are built, will provide additional capacity on the East Coast and Midland main lines.”

According to DC Rail, each freight train can remove up to 76 lorries from the UK road network and that currently amounts to 7M fewer lorry journeys.

HS2 Ltd said that rail freight has a key role to play in the low carbon economy as rail produces 76% less carbon dioxide emissions than the equivalent road journey.

By enabling more freight to travel by rail, HS2 will help reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality and make motorways safer.

Full report here.