A consultation carried out in November 2011 for the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd revealed that a clear majority of people think that the High Speed 2 train line should not go ahead.

More recently, a 2013 YouGov poll revealed that a 55% majority still oppose the project, stating that the Department for Transport had “not yet presented a convincing case”

Here is a summary of the responses to the DfT’s High speed rail consultation report from 2011:

Question Agree Disagree
1 Do you agree that there is a strong case for enhancing the capacity and performance of Britain’s inter-city rail network to support economic growth over the coming decades? 21,630 23,462
2 Do you agree that a national high speed rail network from London to Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester (the Y network) would provide the best value for money solution (best balance of costs and benefits) for enhancing rail capacity and performance? 15,257 31,789
3 Do you agree with the Government’s proposals for the phased roll-out of a national high speed rail network, and for links to Heathrow Airport and the High Speed 1 line to the Channel Tunnel? 2,215 26,197
4 Do you agree with the principles and specification used by HS2 Ltd to underpin its proposals for new high speed rail lines and the route selection process HS2 Ltd undertook? 2,584 28,455
5 Do you agree that the Government’s proposed route, including the approach proposed for mitigating its impacts, is the best option for a new high speed rail line between London and the West Midlands? 2,187 28,163
6* Do you wish to comment on the Appraisal of Sustainability of the Government’s proposed route between London and the West Midlands that has been published to inform this consultation? 614
think AoS is adequate
14,170
think AoS is flawed/inadequate
7 Do you agree with the options set out to assist those whose properties lose a significant amount of value as a result of any new high speed line? 2,667 16,027

* Answers to Q6 required respondents to express their opinions and fell into two categories:

  • AoS is inadequate/flawed/requires more information
  • AoS is adequate/sufficient