New train line threatens countryside around Uni

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis announced plans last month for a new high-speed railway line that will run from London to Birmingham, with a possible future extension to the north of England and Scotland. The proposed line would pass through areas of Coventry and Warwickshire, including the land next to the University, and could cost anywhere between fifteen and thirty billion pounds.

Running at speeds up to 250mph, the train would reduce travel time between the two cities to between thirty and fifty minutes and alleviate problems of overcrowding. However, those who live in the areas which will be directly affected by the new rail link are not convinced that these advantages merit the destruction of the neighbouring countryside.

The Boar spoke to Terry and Val Dillon, a retired couple who moved into their current home eighteen years ago with the view of downsizing once the house became too large to manage. With the recent developments, they are now facing the prospect of selling at a much lower price and losing the pension they invested in their renovation of the former barn house.

The proposed railway line would cut through the fields surrounding the Dillons’ home, with trains potentially passing up to fourteen times an hour. While there has been significant local opposition to the construction plans, it is unlikely that the provisional start date of 2017 will see a drastic change of route. Mrs Dillon told the Boar that unfortunately this lack of power was “inevitable” in the face of the “progress” that the line would bring.

“I won’t say we’re resigned to it, but what can you do? We know people who support it, and if it wasn’t going to come so close to the house I probably wouldn’t have gone to the opposition meetings.”

Mr Dillon added that the plans were deeply “disheartening”, as while the couple had often thought that a road would be built in the vicinity, they “would never have dreamed” of the large-scale intrusion that the high-speed track would pose.

The couple mentioned that they felt that the 250mph speeds seemed “excessive”, as the time saved on the journey between London and Birmingham would not be significant. The high speeds that the new bullet-train would reach have also been criticised in a report issued by the Campaign for Rural England’s Warwickshire branch.

The report states that travelling at 250mph would mean that the track would have to be built in a virtually straight line, at the expense of the surrounding farmland. It goes on to argue that if the speed were reduced to around 186mph, similar to that of the Channel Tunnel, the rail line would be a far better fit to the Warwickshire landscape and would therefore present less of a problem to residents.

However, the fact remains that the planners’ budget is the priority, with the report going on to acknowledge that:

“For engineers and economists it is much more cost effective to build a railway which is nearly straight through green fields. But at what cost in loss of amenity for enjoyment and recreation for current and future generations?”