The accessibility impact of a new High-Speed Rail line in the UK – a preliminary analysis of winners and losers

This paper analyses changes in accessibility that might result from a new High-Speed Rail (HSR) line in the UK. A proposal for such a line put forward by Network Rail in 2009 is used as the basis for the analysis. Using travel time to London as the main benchmark to measure accessibility of a station on the current (conventional) and future (high-speed) rail networks the paper examines the likely winners and losers from the construction of the new line. The results show that the accessibility benefits from the proposed line are relatively limited in terms of geographic spread and that many cities close to it would not see any travel time reductions on journeys to London, thus will not see any accessibility benefits in this respect. For such places, this will translate to a relative reduction in the accessibility to London, when compared to other locations, and thus to potentially adverse socioeconomic implications. The paper concludes by arguing that any examination of a HSR line must consider a wider geographic area than just the cities, and especially the stations, on the line and it therefore must give due consideration to integration between transport networks, and especially between the high-speed and conventional rail networks. Based on the current analysis, the paper concludes that the case for a HSR line in the UK from a regional accessibility perspective is questionable.

► HSR introduces a strong polarization of the accessibility in the rail system.
► HSR can turn the geography of a country upside down.
► These impacts are expected to take place in the UK as a result of HSR development.
► The lack of integration between HSR and conventional rail services worsens the results.
► The location of the HSR station is crucial to really benefit from HSR advantages.