HS2 campaign seeks contributions from supporters - Car Rental News
HS2 campaign seeks contributions from supporters
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Car Rental News - 25/04/2011
Campaign for the new high-speed rail link has asked rail firms to finance the fight against opposition.
A new campaign group created to generate support for Britain’s High Speed Two transport link is asking for a contribution of £10,000 each from rail companies to support efforts to fight increasingly vocal opposition against the project. The pro-HS2 lobby group is called Campaign for High Speed Rail and is seeking financial support to help counter loud opposition to the proposed £17-billion rail link.
Saying opposition groups have created a opposition fund of £1 million, the pro campaign has asked rail firms to help fight in support of building the rail link. Professor David Begg announced the campaign last month. Professor Begg is currently a non-executive director at airports operator BAA and was a chairman of Tube Lines, an engineering company.
Professor Begg launched the pro-HS2 lobby organisation after a dinner that was attended by Philip Hammond, the transport secretary, and senior members of the transport industry. Professor Begg sent an email to attendees in which he asked that every company that joins the body provide a supporting contribution of £10,000.
In the email, Professor Begg said ‘vociferous’ opposition to the rail link project had amassed a war fund valued at a million pounds. Prominent public transport groups operating in Britain have apparently been contacted in hopes of generating funds to support the pro-HS2 body.
A list of objectives was sent to members that might join the campaign group. The list includes the task of dealing with the ‘commentariat’ that is threatening to destroy support for the rail link.
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