Fight stepped up against latest HS2 proposal

CAMPAIGNERS in Bramley hope to gain enough petition signatures against the proposed changes to the HS2 high-speed rail link to prompt a response from the government.

People living in the area launched an online petition when the route was controversially moved from Meadowhall to Sheffield city centre.

If approved, the new route would run through the Broadlands estate in Bramley, as well as parts of Aston, Wales, Mexborough and other parts of the Dearne Valley.

Sandra Haith, who started the petition, and Hellaby Cllr Jenny Andrews, gathered more than 300 signatures when they held a stall at Morrisons’ Bramley store on Saturday.

Cllr Andrews said: “We are getting towards 2,000 signatures already and the campaign is really gaining momentum.

“We want to get to 10,000 because that means the government will have to respond to us.

“Emotions are understandably running very high and we’d like to thank everyone who has already signed the petition.”

MP John Healey (left) and Rotherham Council leader Chris Read have also both called for a rethink of the newly proposed route.

Cllr Read said the economic and travel benefits from the high-speed rail link would be “slight to non-existent”.

He added: “Without serious reconsideration, the current proposal is unacceptable to Rotherham residents.”

He said journey times to London would not be much less than the current 1hr 23mins.

He added: “Either the Meadowhall or Sheffield Victoria Station options would potentially have seen six trains an hour in each direction, directly onto the new HS2 line.

“Journey times to London would be reduced to slightly more than an hour.

“HS2’s new proposal would mean just two trains an hour to and from London and Birmingham into the existing Sheffield Midland station in the city centre.

“I understand that these ‘classic convertible’ services will be only half the length of the main HS2 line services.

“Two trains of this size, rather than six 400m trains, are in effect just 15 per cent of the extra capacity than had previously been proposed.”

Mr Healey told new Transport Secretary Chris Grayling that he was “dismayed” that Meadowhall had been dropped in favour of an option which only offers a normal spur line from the fast track into Sheffield.

The new route offers no South Yorkshire stations on the high-speed line itself.

A spokesman for HS2 Ltd said the new route would be cheaper, easier to build, less noisy and involve demolishing fewer homes.

For more information or to view the Bramley petition visit http://tinyurl.com/hs2bramley.