Change name of HS2 and improve station designs, says Mayor Andy Street
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has launched a scathing attack on designs for HS2 stations - as he called for the name of the controversial rail project to be ditched.
Mr Street said designs for Curzon Street in Birmingham and Interchange in Solihull "have all the quirkiness and charm of Stansted Airport’s baggage drop-off area" as he called for a radical re-think for the way the project is being promoted.
HS2 has been dogged by delays and run over budget, opening it up to criticism and calls for it to be scrapped. Boris Johnson has called a review of the scheme, but it is still expected to continue largely as planned.
The mayor said it was crucial that the benefits HS2 will bring to the region are more widely publicised to improve people's perception of the scheme. He also called for the line to be linked to the Eurostar to improve access to Europe.
Despite criticism of the cost of HS2 - currently around £88bn - Mr Street said quality of stations should not be sacrificed in order to save cash.
The mayor said: "Those of us who support the project are losing the battle for hearts and minds.
"At the moment, the designs at Curzon Street in Birmingham and Interchange in Solihull have all the quirkiness and charm of Stansted Airport’s baggage drop-off area.
"Of course we need to get a grip of the costs, and one way we can do that is by turning the HS2 stations into hives of new offices, shops, restaurants and new apartments which will be able to advertise the shortest commutes in the world.
"We can knock billions of the price tag, if we get the private sector to pay for these developments. But in our rush to save cash, let’s not lose the opportunity to create some architectural and regeneration magic while we’re at it, as has been done brilliantly around Kings Cross in London."
He added: "The final thing we should do is ditch the name. Nothing has done more to reinforce the image of a men in suits, with their Apprentice-style wheely suitcases, whizzing down to London for a senior corporate client executive stakeholder meeting, than the name High Speed 2. The name completely misses the point about the benefits for everyday local commuters.
"And more than just missing the point, the name HS2 has all the panache of an RfP, or an xls file, or an MDF offcut. No-one talks about High Speed 1, but everyone knows what Eurostar is."
