Commenting on the HS2 decision announced today (10 January 2012), Chair of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) HS2 Expert Panel, Steve Hayter, said: “We agree that the opportunity should be taken to invest in a new railway that is fit for the 21st century – significantly increasing capacity, strengthening connectivity between our city-regions and boosting the UK economy in the long term. The time to invest is now and we endorse the Government’s strategy.
“Going forwards, a robust and effective high speed railway that achieves the environmental and economic aims must have the very strongest commitment and support, both politically and financially. Government should also now develop an integrated transport policy that serves the nation’s future transport needs – HS2 in itself can only form part of that plan and ideally should not be developed in isolation.”
Commenting on the decision to tunnel, Hayter added: “Government’s willingness to exploring different engineering options to minimise the impact on those communities affected must be welcomed. Tunnelling on this scale is a proven, effective engineering solution with many advantages. Engineers will now stand ready to do what they do best - overcoming any challenges and ensuring the project succeeds.”
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is a leading source of professional expertise in transport, water supply and treatment, flood management, waste and energy. Established in 1818, it has over 80,000 members throughout the world including over 60,000 in the UK. ICE’s vision is to place civil engineering the heart of society, delivering sustainable development through knowledge, skills and professional expertise. The ICE has long worked with the government of the day to help it to achieve its objectives, and has worked with industry to ensure that construction and civil engineering remain major contributors to the UK economy.
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For further information: Kate Ison, ICE Media Manager, 0207 665 2104, Kate.ison@ice.org.uk