A recent Pall Mall Estates survey of business owners and managers in and around the Birmingham area found a broad spectrum of opinions regarding the impending arrival of HS2 to the West Midlands. The new high-speed rail link, which will offer faster connections between Birmingham and London and the north of England, came under fire from some sections of the study’s respondents who believe that the £50bn-plus investment in HS2 will offer no return on investment for Birmingham and the West Midlands as a whole.

Some of the most vociferous criticism regarding the development of the 225mph rail link are those in rural areas of the Midlands. Residents and businesses in rural Warwickshire have voiced concerns regarding the number of homes and the amount of countryside that will be affected by the implementation of HS2, which will cut rail journeys between Birmingham and London to just 50 minutes.

The survey of 100 entrepreneurs and business owners in Birmingham found a number that were against the cost and development of HS2.

“By the time it [HS2] is built it will be out of date, so the money would have been better spent investing in the local area and improving empty industrial spaces here,” said one survey respondent.

Another respondent said that while HS2 will have a positive impact on Birmingham’s city centre, it is doubtful whether it will really have a significant influence on West Midlands towns further afield.

“If it goes ahead, I think it will be great for central Birmingham - the new station will be in the centre of town. But I’m not sure if outlying areas will see much difference,” they said.

Ticket prices for the HS2 railway are expected to be published in the coming months and some of Birmingham’s business owners are sceptical whether they will ever be in a position to use the service.

“HS2 will destroy the countryside for a train I’ll never be able to afford to get on,” said one survey respondent.

Sir David Higgins, chair of the public company developing HS2, is pushing hard for “everyday low prices” on HS2. Higgins believes the lines, which will be able to carry up to 600,000 passengers daily, should adopt the ticketing structure of budget airlines, offering early bookers the cheapest fares.

“You look at EasyJet or Ryanair or Eurostar. These services are full all the time. People will want to know they can book in advance, they can always get a seat and it is reliable. It is everyday efficient low prices,” said Higgins.

But it’s not just the business case that Birmingham’s entrepreneurs have mentioned throughout this survey. Some voiced real concerns that HS2 will “raise house prices”, “taking more business down to London with people living here”.

The first HS2 trains are anticipated to arrive at Birmingham Curzon station in 2026 and many of the Second City’s residents clearly still need convincing during the next nine years that HS2 can bring more benefits than problems to the West Midlands economy.

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