Who benefits from huge rail projects?
Some outer London boroughs are aggrieved at having to contribute towards the cost of Crossrail. In Sutton, which lies miles south of any of the stations served by the project, one executive member of the council said it would have “no tangible benefit” and that the council should not have to pay unless money was also spent on rail projects in the borough.
Meanwhile, residents and politicians in the rural counties that will be crossed by the proposed HS2 line are incensed that their peace and quiet could be disturbed by the 220mph interlopers they see as benefiting only the major cities.
Such concerns are unlikely to be quelled with statistics or economics lectures on the knock-on benefits of rail infrastructure projects, because the complainants feel the situation they find themselves in is simply unfair.
Can they ever be convinced – or do they have a point?
