The Conservatives have spurned the government's offer of advanced sight of the White Paper on the proposed High Speed Rail line between London and the Midlands. In the spirit of political cooperation for improved public transport, the Green Party has offered to step into the gap left by the Tories and review the White Paper.
Alan Francis, Green Party Transport Spokesperson said, "We support the principle of high speed rail, and would be willing to review the white paper prior to publication. The Green Party's commitment to improving public transport, including rail, is genuine. While we could not agree in advance to support the chosen route we would be willing to review it and give the government feedback."
The Green Party is calling for a major expansion of public transport - including high speed rail - as part of the Green New Deal. This would involve massive government investment to create jobs, as well as making public transport much more affordable.
The Greens would reduce UK rail fares by 10%. The railway system would also be brought back into public ownership. By spending £2 billion on new track, rolling stock, and urban tram schemes, 20,000 jobs could be created. An investment of £3 billion would double the size of the bus fleet and create 70,000 jobs.
Mr Francis is a transport consultant and inter alia chairs the Milton Keynes Central Station Travel Plan group. He has responded on behalf of the Green Party to many consultations by the government and Network Rail.