Motion #19
This motion calls for HS2 to be funded and completed in full, including the entire Eastern leg and an underground through station at Manchester Piccadilly. This motion also calls for the full potential of HS2 to be by building in full Northern Powerhouse Rail which will use HS2 infrastructure.
In Record of Policy Statements (RoPS) delete the sections “High Speed Rail” and “Stop HS2”
Add into RoPS:
The Green Party recognises that the first phase of HS2 between London and Birmingham is well under construction. Construction has not yet started on Phase 2a and Parliament has not yet approved the funding for Phase 2b of HS2. If HS2 is not built in full to Manchester and Leeds it will not achieve the maximum capacity release on the rail network, it will limit environmental gains and could potentially widen regional inequality.. The Green Party calls for the government to fully fund and build HS2 in full including the entire Eastern leg to Leeds, an underground through station at Manchester Piccadilly, the Golborne Link (or a better replacement) which enables HS2 services to be easily used on parts of the existing West Coast Main Line to Lancashire, Cumbria and Scotand as well as the originally planned bicycle routes alongside parts of the HS2 route.
The Green Party calls for the impact of HS2 to be improved further by fully funding and building Northern Powerhouse Rail which includes a high speed rail line from Liverpool to Manchester and onwards to Bradford and Leeds. This will use HS2 infrastructure in Manchester including potentially sharing the underground HS2 station at Manchester Piccadilly. The Green Party calls for HS2 services to be extended to Liverpool using Northern Powerhouse Rail infrastructure around Liverpool.
The Green Party recognises the need to shift transport mode share away from cars and flights in order to tackle emissions from transportation and that electric high speed rail lines such as HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail can play an important role in achieving this. High speed rail lines free up capacity on other rail lines that serve regional and local rail services allowing for more frequent trains to run on these lines. High speed rail lines themselves reduce domestic flights and car journeys for long distance travel because they can better compete for shorter journey times.