Campaigners opposed to a new high speed rail line from London to Birmingham will have a chance to put their case to MPs after they were invited to speak at a Commons inquiry.
The Stop High Speed 2 campaign is to give evidence to the Transport Select Committee later this month.
MPs are holding an inquiry into transport and the economy.
Business leaders including Birmingham Chamber, the city council and the government all claim that high speed rail lines cutting journey times to London to 45 minutes will provide a massive boost to the city’s economy.
But opponents disagree. Professor Mike Geddes, of Warwick Business School, a supporter of the Stop High Speed 2 campaign, argues that the rail service could actually damage the West Midlands economy.
Critics of plans for a new rail line, which will eventually stretch to Manchester and Leeds, also point out that the line will cost £20 billion to build.
Joe Rukin, convenor of the Stop High Speed 2 campaign, said: “We welcome this opportunity to present the facts to the Transport Select Committee and find it extremely encouraging that, following the success of the Stop High Speed 2 Lobby Day in Parliament last month, that such a high level respected committee is taking the opposition to HS2 seriously.
“The Committee want to know if the appraisal process for transport projects is fit for purpose, and High Speed 2 presents the perfect case study showing the decision making process is totally flawed.”
The scheme is known as High Speed 2 because the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, running from London through Kent to the British end of the Channel Tunnel, is sometimes known as High Speed 1.
The Government will begin consultations early next year on building a ‘Y’-shaped high speed rail network with separate legs from the West Midlands to each of Manchester and Leeds.
Work on the Birmingham to London section is unlikely to start until 2017 at the earliest.
