The high speed 2 rail link from london to the north of England Essay

The high speed 2 rail link from london to the north of England. Critically evaluate by researching the arguments for and against high speed 2, ensuring you include up to five(5) for and five(5) against - Essay Example The second phase will comprise of stations at Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Leads. It is expected to be complete by 2033 (Inderwildi and King 2012). According to research, the HS2 has received both approval and criticism by the public in equal measure. There are several reasons presented by either side, with environmental concerns and fiscal viability of the project raising the most debates. Having weighed the both sides of the arguments, I wish to present some of the major opinions for and against the HS2 project. HS2 is expected to create about 100,000 jobs opportunities in the construction industry once the entire line is running (High Speed Two (HS2) 2014). The line is expected to open up more transport connections which will minimize production and transport costs. This will stimulate higher productivity and consequently greater competition between various regions in UK. According to KPMG report, the UK productivity will rise by  £15 billion a year, which translates to 0.8 percent growth in the country’s GDP (KPMG 2013). The report also outlines that the project is more likely to benefit the Midlands and the North more as compared to London. The report suggests that more than 70 percent of the jobs opportunities will be created outside of London. The line has been described as one that bridges the north-south divide (Great Britain 2013). UK has had a raging debate for a long time regarding the future of the country’s airports. The major concern is their ability to provide sustained quality services even as the number of passengers continues to rise. The introduction of HS2 will certainly relieve some pressure from airports in the north of UK such as Birmingham Airport, which presently serves about 27 million passengers annually. With the addition of the rail line and the airport’s expansion in place, this figure could rise to about 70 million passenger traffic per year. The same effect is expected