HS2 challenge group ‘full of high-speed supporters’

David Begg – Director of "Yes to HS2", the campaign for High Speed Rail, and member of the HS2 strategic challenge panel

David Begg – Director of "Yes to HS2", the campaign for High Speed Rail, and member of the HS2 strategic challenge panel

Jim Steer – Director of Greengauge 21,which was established in 2006 to research and develop the concept of a high-speed rail network, as a national economic priority. He is also a member of the HS2 strategic challenge panel.

Jim Steer – Director of Greengauge 21,which was established in 2006 to research and develop the concept of a high-speed rail network, as a national economic priority. He is also a member of the HS2 strategic challenge panel.

The House of Commons transport committee has voiced concern that many of the reviewers of the Government’s high-speed rail plans are vocal supporters of the scheme.

In 2009 the Government set up three challenge panels to provide “independent expert scrutiny” of the strategic, technical and analytical aspects of the work by HS2 Ltd.

But the MPs note: “The strategic challenge panel comprises eight [nine – ed] transport and local government experts who are almost all publicly supportive of high-speed rail, including the director of Yes to HS2 [David Begg], the director of Greengauge 21 [Jim Steer], and the chief executive of Network Rail [David Higgins].”

“Of the three groups, currently comprising 22 people (all men), only the analytical challenge panel contains any evident critic of high-speed rail,” it says.

Steve Baker, the Conservative MP for High Wycombe and the most vocal critic of high-speed rail on the committee, said the challenge panels were “not credible”.