Eurostar plans 'short-sighted' says MP
SOUTH NORFOLK MP Richard Bacon has described the failure of officials to predict the impact of no-frills airlines on Eurostar services as “short-sighted”, as the Commons public accounts committee published its report into the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, the high-speed railway linking the tunnel with St Pancras station in London.
The report finds that Eurostar passenger numbers were forecast to hit 21.4 million by 2004, but actual numbers only reached 7.3 million. Inaccurate forecasts of passenger numbers have subsequently been produced in 1998, 2001 and 2004.
Mr Bacon, a member of the committee, said: “Officials have been quick to lay blame on the rise of no-frills airlines for the Eurostar’s difficulties. It is worryingly short-sighted that no-one thought the public would embrace fast, cheap travel to a wider range of great European cities and holiday hotspots than Eurostar currently serves”.
“Government departments seem chronically unable to judge accurately the needs or mood of the British public, a failing which has led the Millennium Dome and several other projects into financial difficulties”.
“The economic case for the rail link remains shaky and, in terms of passenger numbers, the link is not justified at all. It will be hard for the Government to explain to the travelling public why rail services from local stations are being cut back when there is money enough for an expensive rail link that few people are using”.
The report also finds that regeneration benefits are required to make the project value for money, but states it may be difficult to tell whether these benefits are attributable to other major infrastructure projects, such as the 2012 Olympics.
4 May 2006
See also:
PAC REPORT: The Channel Tunnel Rail Link
PARLIAMENT: £9bn
rail upgrade 'a temporary solution' says MP
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