The European Union and railways

In January this year I posted yet another article about HS2 and noted that Justine Greening and Statutory Instrument 3066/2011 stated that our rail system is now known as "the rail system within the Community (now the EU)".

On the 8th February Siim Kallas, Vice-President and Commissioner for Transport, gave a speech entitled: "Europe's railways - on track to the future", one in which he made plain that the railway systems of member states will no longer be national railway systems, but will be the European railway system.

"This should be a real European railway to join up east and west, north and south – and not the collection of national railways we have today, struggling with technical differences in track gauges, electrification and signalling."

That Kallas is determined to standardise rolling stock, signalling, locomotive construction, brake design and technology, ticketing, cannot be in doubt. Neither can it be in doubt that as transport is an EU competence there will be some directives issued in the future.

No doubt in the years to come, as with Cameron and his wish for gender equality on company boards, changes to our railways will be presented as a UK government initiative while a little 'digging' will soon show that they are anything but.

Just saying.........

Err, not strictly true Mr. Redwood - surely?

With a post entitled "Europe again - its always there to trouble us" John Redwood writes:

"I used the opportunity to ask the Minister about the status of the UK’s HS2 project. He confirmed what I have been telling many of you. HS2 is a project which the UK can and does decide for itself. It is not mandated by the EU, and is not on the maps as a crucial part of the EU’s European networks. Critics of the scheme should attack it on its domestic merits and defects, not as a further illustration of too much EU power. There does not seem to be any wish by the EU to find EU money raised from member states to help this project."

Agreed that HS2 is a project which the UK can and does decide for itself; that it is not mandated by the EU, ie there is no EU Directive or Regulation 'enabling' its construction. That is a fact - however knowing our political elite have this overriding aim to show what "good little Europeans we are" I still suspect this to be another of Cameron's "We have decided to ......" with a view to negate the ensuing "Brussels Effect". Perhaps Mr. Redwood did not pay attention to Justine Greening and Statutory Instrument 3066/2011 in which it is notated that our rail system is now known as "the rail system within the Community (now the EU)". If that phrase does not mean that our railway system is no longer under our control - then I must have missed something! Oh and by the way, Mr. Redwood, it is on TEN-T maps - go trawl the TEN-T website....... Ask yourself why the EU has part-funded the rail link between Dublin and Belfast and beyond? Ask yourself why would they do that if it was not to provide a 'transport corridor' from one outer region of the EU, through the UK, to mainland Europe and why there may have been a little 'arm-twisting' on HS2. Are we to see a bridge or tunnel connecting Larne in Ireland to mainland Britain?


That, insidiously, we are being subsumed into the "EU net" is beyond doubt and I find it utterly unbelievable that an avowed, supposed, Eurosceptic appears to be following the public trend of believing that which he is told and doing so without question. There has been much effort expended in obtaining sight of the emails that exist with regard to Huhne and his speeding points - cynic that I am, perhaps the police might wish to spend some time obtaining emails and correspondence between our political elite and those bodies set up to 'investigate' the viability of HS2, together with said correspondence twixt the EU and our 'government'?


One thing is certain - we, the public (and I suspect MPs), are not privy to all the facts about HS2 and why it is being implemented and yet we are expected to fund it. That is democracy? So much for "transparency in government"; so much for 'honesty' on the part of our political elite; so much for the 'honour' of our political elite. Until the foregoing becomes the norm we will continue to live under what is becoming more and more evident as a democratised dictatorship. Until we get some form of direct democracy and an element of 'referism', we will continue to be 'bled dry' as a result of the vanity of those who are supposed to serve us!

Political principles and democracy

Articles in today's Sunday Telegraph on the subject of HS2, one by Robert Watts and Adam Lusher, the other by Andrew Gilligan, illustrate the lack of political principle and democracy. Both articles are substantially shorter than those in the print edition - which raises a question about censorship on-line, but I digress. As a result some of the points I raise are from the print edition.


On the front page of the newspaper a short 'intro' article by Watts and Gilligan states that documents published last week revealed that 91 per cent of those consulted opposed the scheme. Yet Cheryl Gillan is quoted as stating that she appreciates that there are many people who remain disappointed - but, given there is overwhelming support in the House of Commons across all parties, she believes good progress has been made in improving the protection of the Chilterns. Yet another example of democratised dictatorship!


Justine Greening does not escape condemnation either, because if her views against the third runway at Heathrow are used then her reported statement by Gilligan, one made in 2009, that at every stage the Government has ignored public opinion and shamelessly ignored the grave environmental risk and that the battle to preserve our quality of life is important must also hold true today. But then, in 2009, Justine Greening was just an MP, which lends weight to the argument that attaining high office with all the benefits of position, power and an increased salary, does affect a politician's principles.


Just saying..........




Afterthought: A statement from Greening and link to all the documentation can be found here.

More HS2 Shenanighans

From PoliticsHome we learn that the Department for Transport have announced they have found an extra £500m which will be used to build a tunnel under the Chiltern Hills for the controversial HS2 train line. The extra funding means that a decision on HS2 will be delayed from this month to mid-January 2012, but is likely to assauge some of the opposition to the plans. The story is covered elsewhere here, here and here.

From the Guardian article we are informed that this extra £500m is to provide a further tunnel of 1.5 miles taken on the basis it would reduce aesthetic damage to the Chilterns, an area of outstanding natural beauty. From the Daily Telegraph we learn:

"The first six mile section to Old Oak Common Lane in northwest London is tunnelled before running over-ground to the M25, and then passing through another tunnel. This tunnel surfaces after Amersham for a mile, before entering a shorter tunnel, which ends at South Heath. The new cash will be used to join up the Amersham tunnel with the shorter tunnel."

And whose constitutuency is Chesham and Amersham? And who, besides David Lidington, has threatened to resign if HS2 crosses their constituency? Forgive me, but this decision 'stinks'! It reeks of public money being spent to save the government of the day very high profile resignation(s); and all the fall-out that that would entail.

We learn that Justine Greening is to delay any decision until January next year, although it is noted that she is due to appear before the Transport Select Committee on Wednesday 14th December at 17:05 hours. From the BBC suggestions have been made by the Campaign to Protect Rural England that the extra money has been found by possibly 'ungreening' (pun intended!) other sections of the line; and it is to be wondered whether Justine Greening will be forthcoming about such matters when she does appear before the Select Committee, assuming of course the question is asked, or whether she will make such details clear in her statement to the HoC.

In the recommendations of the last Transport Select Committee report it was noted that claims HS2 would deliver substantial carbon-reduction benefits did not stand up to scrutiny, although in the same paragraph the committee did note that HS2 will produce less carbon than an expanded motorway network or greater domestic aviation in the event of increased demand for inter-urban travel - so on the basis that all this 'carbon scam' is accepted, it presumably shows 'justification' for HS2. One other statement is worthy of mention and that is the Government needs to make clear how HS2 fits into its wider aviation strategy. Once again our politicians are being disingenious with the actualité because the government doesn't have a transport policy, aviation or otherwise; as the EU, by means of Article 4(g) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) can dictate any aspect of transport policy any time they so choose - and all our pretend government can do is, in effect, then implement any subsequent decision.

Whilst much is made by those against the scheme who have local concerns, it should also be noted that funding proposals have yet to be announced. Philip Hammond, when Transport Secretary, may well contend the project is affordable, yet at the end of the day we do not yet know how much liability there is for the taxpayer. In the letters column of today's Sunday Telegraph it is suggested that taxpayers will be liable for £10billion. (the Castles & Parish report referred to can be read here.) The 17 councils referred to are part of the 51m group, an alliance of councils opposed to HS2, so called because HS2 will costs every Parliamentary constituency £51m. Another matter worth ascertaining is, in discussing revenue that HS2 will produce, I do not see any inclusion to cater for the intention of the EU and their proposal that the 'user pays' concept.

It is also worth noting, if discussing disingeniousness, that in the Transport Committee report and the Castles & Parish paper, the 'EU element' of the Trans-European Network-Transport (TEN-T) appears most noticeable by its absence - but hey, the appearance of 'parliamentary sovereignty' understandably has to be 'maintained at all costs'. (again, pun intended)

As with just about any government 'project', what our political elite are doing with HS2 is spending money that is not theirs in the first place. Now, with 'Referism' and 'Direct Democracy' they would bloody well have to ask first!

HS2 laid bare - Its an EU 'core' network!

The United Kingdom is being integrated within the European Union state in ways that are not publicized - and when they are, the EU element is hidden by our politicians. Two documents have come to light, ones that I do not recall being mentioned by our politicians, nor by the media - although I recognise that for the latter to notice anything that is not spoon-fed to them by their political 'contacts' is a step too far in logical thinking.

The first document I bring to your attention is a proposal by the EU Commission for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (COM (2011) 650/2). The second document is another proposal by the EU Commission for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Connecting Europe Facility (COM (2011) 665/3). I don't know about you, but I do not recall any mention of these two documents by our politicians or the media.

Within the programme being run by TEN-T (Trans European Network - Transport) it has been the aim of the European Union to create transport 'corridors' to speed the transportation of people and goods from one extreme of their 'empire' to the other. From COM 650/2 we learn that in the light of the challenges for the TEN-T policy, also identified by the White Paper 'Roadmap to a Single European Transport  Area – Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system  ("the White Paper"), these Guidelines will define a long-term strategy for the TEN-T policy up to 2030/2050. We also learn that the proposal aims to establish and develop a complete TEN-T, consisting of infrastructure for railways, inland waterways, roads, maritime and air transport, thereby ensuring the smooth functioning of the internal market and strengthening economic and social cohesion. (Do note the last four words!) It has also been decide by the Commission that the TEN-T could be best developed through a dual-layer approach, consisting of a comprehensive network and a core network.

For those that wish to wade through the usual EU verbiage, please do, but the interesting 'facts' come on page 43 of the Connecting Europe Facility paper, where in noting 'core networks' we see listed none other than High Speed 2 in Core Network #8: Belfast – Dublin – Holyhead – Birmingham
Glasgow/Edinburgh – Birmingham  Birmingham – London – Lille – Brussel/Bruxelles
Dublin/Cork/Southampton – Le Havre – Paris London – Dover – Calais – Paris. Note also on page 39 Felixstowe/Birmingham/Liverpool also feature as a 'core' network. In fact what is also laid bare is that all the debate about connecting Heathrow to the London/Birmingham HS2 line, connecting Heathrow and Gatwick with a rail link is just a smokescreen as all transport plans/decisions are now being taken in Brussels - all our puppets in Westminster have to do is implement that which they are told.

When considering Cameron's posturing today, during the press conference following his meeting with Frau Merkel, coupled with his wish to 'reform' the EU, he should at least admit that if as a Head of State he can't even decide what rail line gets built where, he might just as well haul up the flag of surrender now. He and the rest of the seat warmers that inhabit Westminster are indeed Judas Goats, leading this nation into a subservience of rule from abroad and one can but paraphrase the words of Cromwell when saying to them: Go and go now!

Please, please, can we just get out now, massacre our political claque (at all levels); and start again with a blank sheet of paper. Please?