A HS2 FAQ - The latest information on High Speed Rail

A RAIL HEADACHE: Trains will pass within 200m of Yorkminster Drive

FOUR years ago this month, the lives of many local residents were thrown into disarray with the announcement that a high speed rail line would pass near to Chelmsley Wood.
Since first details about the "preferred route" were published in March 2010 the HS2 project has been a cause of great uncertainty to communities up-and-down the country.
Business leaders have said that cutting travel times between Birmingham to London to 45 minutes would be a massive boost to the economy and create thousands of new jobs.
For those whose homes are on the frontline of the multi-billion pound project, there has been serious worries about noise levels, a sharp drop in property prices and the destruction of much-loved countryside and green space.

Question & Answers:

How will the HS2 project affect North Solihull?
It was announced in 2010 that the line would pass near to Yorkminster Drive and surrounding roads on its way into Birmingham city centre. In the original plans, some homes would have been less than 100m away - closer to the track than anywhere else in Solihull. Last summer the route was shifted 125m to the east, meaning it wouldn't pass as close to the estate as originally feared. The changes were seen as a "mixed blessing" by many residents. The line would no longer cut through the Bluebell Recreation Ground, but football pitches at Heath Park were now under threat. Worse still, the Chelmsley Wood section of the tracks would now be carried on a viaduct (between 10-16metres) high.

Where else is being affected locally?
Around 13km of line will be laid through Solihull. Trains will enter the borough from Warwickshire and pass near to the villages of Berkswell and Balsall Common. From there the line will travel up past Hampton-in-Arden and on to the NEC, where a new interchange station will be built. After that, the rail link will carry on past Chelmsley Wood towards Water Orton.

Does Solihull Council support HS2?
The council's position on high speed rail is "conditional support in principle". Put simply, the council's support is subject to HS2 bosses maximising the economic benefits and providing the best compensation for local residents who will suffer as a result of proposals. Councillors from all political parties meet roughly once a month for the HS2 Working Party - a committee who discuss ways to get the best deal for Solihull. The public can attend these meetings - the next one will be held at Solihull Civic Suite this Thursday (March 20), starting at 6pm.

But aren't some councillors against HS2?
Yes. The Green Party (which has seven members on Solihull Council) have said that the local authority needs to change its position. Councillor Chris Williams (Green, Chelmsley Wood) argued last year that HS2 bosses were rejecting the suggestions being put forward to limit the impact on local people. Following this failure to win significant concessions, he called for the council to ditch its "conditional support in principle" and take a harder line. While the other parties remain committed to the original position, all of them are adamant that no cost from the construction of the project should fall on the local taxpayer.

CONCEPT: An artist's impression of the rail line.

What are the main concerns for those living near the line?
HS2 trains travel at up to 250mph (faster than anywhere else in Europe) so one of the main worries is the noise as the carriages pass by. Exactly how loud they'll sound depends on how close you live to the line and the type of track (the noise levels will be much worse if a train is travelling overground, as opposed to being carried through a deep-bore tunnel, for example.) There is also anger about what will be removed to make way for the line - near Chelmsley Wood for instance, recreation ground will be lost. Finally there are fears about disruption during the construction process, which could include extra traffic on local roads and the creation of compounds for workers.

What compensation is available to these people?
This is an area where there are still a lot of unanswered questions. Some buildings will need to be demolished and will be subject to Compulsory Purchase Orders, with compensation packages for the owners. The question mark hangs over what compensation will be available to those living in locations like Yorkminster Drive. There is no plan to pull down these properties, but those who live there face major upheaval. At a meeting of the HS2 Working Party in 2012, one resident told councillors that the issue needed to be looked at urgently.

What are the arguments for HS2?
The Government says Britain's railways are in urgent need of modernisation and it's no longer an option just to improve the existing network.  MPs claim that the London to West Midlands section of the line will create 40,000 jobs and move more business away from the South East to other parts of the country. The boost for business means that HS2 has many supporters in the Solihull area, including the NEC, Birmingham Airport and the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.

Will the project definitely go ahead?
At the moment, the scheme has the backing of the three main political parties nationally (Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats). However, Labour did suggest last year that it may have to reconsider its position if the cost of the project (£42 billion) continued to rise. Kingshurst councillor David Jamieson (Lab) agreed that HS2 was "a good idea but not at any price." If Labour did decide to withdraw support this would pose a serious threat to the future of the project.

If it does go ahead, when will work start?
At the moment, the plan is for building work to get underway around 2017 and the first section of the line (from London to Birmingham) would open in 2026. The second phase of the project would see the lines continue north from Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester, but this would not be finished until around 2033.

Web links:
http://www.hs2.org.uk/ - The main homepage for HS2, includes interactive maps of the route.
http://eservices.solihull.gov.uk/mginternet/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=146 - Dates and times for meetings of Solihull Council's HS2 Working Party.
http://www.carolinespelman.com/content/hs2-mitigation - Meriden MP Caroline Spelman's page on HS2

More questions?
If you have other questions or concerns about HS2, you can call their enquiry line on 020 7944 4908, Monday to Friday (9am-5pm)