HS2 will not 'carve up' canals

THOUGH a newspaper proclaimed the proposed High Speed rail network (HS2) will carve up the canal network, it will do nothing of the sort—but simply cross them, there being no likelihood of an established and navigable waterway being 'carved up'.

The canals that will however be affected are the Grand Union in numerous places, with other crossings of the Oxford,  Coventry, Ashby, Birmingham & Fazeley, Trent & Mersey, Erewash, Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation, Leeds & Liverpool and the Aire & Calder.

Little can be done

The Bridgewater and Manchester Ship Canal will also be affected, but as all are navigable canals, it is expected that little can be done about it, as they will simply be crossed, with really no matter of demonstration actually stopping the HS2 once its route is formalised.  Put in perspective, a colossal venture like this will hardly be stopped because there is a waterway, no matter what the opposition.

What could be in jeopardy are those canals that are at present derelict but being restored, with a very strong case having to be made to safeguard their route should the HS2 be crossing them at ground level.

Quickly gone

Many canals are crossed by motorways and railways, and  some direct on airport flight paths, but boaters usually keep clear when mooring should the noise bother them, and at least though the proposed HS2 will be noisy, the trains will be so fast that the noise will quickly be gone.

It is obviously going to happen, but put in perspective, as far as our navigable canals are concerned, they will be safeguarded, and HS2 will have little effect.