Proposals for a high-speed rail network have drawn a sceptical response from certain quarters within Whitehall and the rail industry. Doubts centre on the financial burden of building a scheme that, if it ever reaches Scotland, could cost up to £30bn – the most expensive British infrastructure project of modern times.
"There has been a British unwillingness to invest in large infrastructure projects in any consistent way," said Tony Travers, director of the Greater London group at the London School of Economics. He suspects instead that the UK is about to enter a prolonged pause in transport investment.
According to accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, government spending needs to be cut twice as fast as implied by the recent budget over the three years to 2013-14.
Department for Transport officials are concerned that projects already under way, such as the £16bn Crossrail line in London, are under threat, let alone schemes yet to receive funding commitments. Earlier this year the permanent secretary to the DfT, Robert Devereux, indicated at a transport industry seminar that capital expenditure on projects will be £30bn lower than expected over the next decade.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/aug/05/high-speed-rail-finance
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