City Hall’s politicians have called for changes to the proposed £32bn high-speed HS2 rail link between London and Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.
The Assembly’s transport committee has set out a number of concerns as part of its response to the Government’s consultation process which closes this evening.
The committee has called for the construction of a new tub line to handle the expected increase in passengers arriving at Euston and have expressed concern that the will have an “unacceptably adverse affect on London Overground passengers.”
Committee Chair Caroline Pidgeon said: “Plans for HS2 need considerable work to make them right for London and we hope to see a far more detailed set of proposals that address all of the issues we’ve raised.
“One of the most critical issues is the absolute necessity of a new Tube line if HS2 goes ahead, so London can cope with the extra passengers it will bring into the capital.”
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has also expressed concerns about the plans and said Ministers “need to give consideration to their impact on residents in London.”
Backing calls for a new tube line, the Mayor’s office says “passengers could have to queue for up to 30 minutes to access the Underground station in order to make onward journeys to their final destinations” without additional capacity being introduced.
The Mayor and Assembly are also calling for additional connections at Old Oak Common which will serve as a “key interchange” with Crossrail.
AMs want HS2 to act as “a catalyst for further development” to what they describe as “a deprived area of west London”.
