Heathrow and high-speed rail pt 3

But I think his key point is this: "We should be comparing the best we can do with one speed and the best we can do with current technology at another speed." And this question of conventional rail versus high-speed rail emerges as a an important discussion point during the morning. High-speed rail, says Cochrane, produces about twice as many emissions per passenger-kilometre as conventional rail.

Cochrane also comments: "If anyone says we need a high-speed railway but government should pay for it I would need a lot convincing. Subsidies to systems generally benefit the existing users most."

He has some good stats. Heathrow now accounts for only 25% of travel between London and Paris/Brussels - mainly people who have easy access to the airport.

And Birmingham-Brussels/Paris is only 500,000 passengers per year in total - with the leg to London being less than an hour by train. So it doesn't do much to justify a high-speed rail link.