Michael Fabricant and around 20 other MPs (including Tamworth’s Chris Pincher and Jeremy Wright, MP for Kenilworth and Southam) met Justine Greening, the new Transport Secretary today (Monday 21st November) to discuss HS2. The meeting was open to all MPs of all political parties.

"I referred her to my letter of the 8th November which I wrote to the Secretary of State following the Transport Committee’s report on HS2” says Michael. “In particular, I asked that no decision be made to proceed with HS2 until the full ‘Y’ route from London to Manchester and Leeds is published. I also questioned why it is necessary to run trains at 250mph which has been shown to be unreliable in continental Europe rather than at normal high speed rates of around 180mph. 180mph trains would be both quieter and more able to follow existing transport corridors such as motorways. I added that as Conservatives, we should be conserving the environment and not running trains through virgin countryside. I urged the minister to ‘think again’ and consider the original high speed route proposed by Arup, the consulting engineers which would have used the M40 corridor. My colleague, Jeremy Wright, also reiterated the point that I have made many times in the past that compensation should be generous to those living along the proposed route of HS2".

A decision on whether the Government will proceed with HS2 is expected to be made in December.