THE TRANSPORT SECRETARY has revealed that he would like to 'fast track' High Speed 2, and that the Government will defy 'grief and hassle' from backbenchers.
These now include the former Welsh secretary, Chesham & Amersham MP Cheryl Gillan, who firmly opposes HS2.
She was sacked from her government post in David Cameron's reshuffle at the start of September, but pledged that her fight would continue from the back benches.
Patrick McLoughlin said those opposing the scheme by claiming that shorter journey times were not worth the upheaval and disruption were 'missing the point', because HS2 represented a 'huge change'. He added: "The age of the train is not dead."
In an interview for the Independent, the transport secretary dismissed claims from anti-HS2 campaigners that there is a link between the collapse of the West Coast franchise award to FirstGroup and financial calculations of the prospects for HS2. He also pointed out that the scheme has the 'unequivocal backing' of the Prime Minister and the Chancellor.
Present proposals envisage a Hybrid Bill being debated by Parliament next year, with the first section of the new route opening between London and Birmingham in 2026. The next stages, to Manchester and Leeds, would follow in the early 2030s.
Mr McLoughlin said: "The easiest thing for any government to do on a project the size of HS2 is to say we're not doing it. All we get is grief. All we get is hassle. But one of the things that government has got to try and do is to look to the long-term future. Whichever route we're going to put it on we're going to upset people."
He has also revealed that he believes the timescale is too long, saying that he would 'love to' finish the project within five years, although he went on to concede that it will take longer.
He added that he is prepared to co-operate with Labour on the issue, although that could upset some Conservatives. He added: "I was very encouraged last week by what the shadow Chancellor said when he made it clear that he supported HS2 and he supported investment in longer term infrastructure.
"I think if we can get cross-party consensus that will be important. Look at what we achieved with the Olympics – we had cross-party support for that."
However, opposition groups remain unconvinced. Joe Rukin of the pressure group StopHS2 said: "Mr McLoughlin is trying the same old trick, trying to pass us off as just a bunch [of] nimbies and says we are missing the point, but it is he who is missing the point. His Government keeps getting grief and hassle because they are pig-headed about a project which is massively expensive, environmentally disastrous, not what the country needs and will not deliver on its promises."