12.

Mohammed, the architect:

Hello. My name is Mohammed and I'm one of the architects

responsible for designing the new rail link. I support it because
it will provide vital links between the main cities in our
country. When it’s in place, we’ll be able to travel between
cities much more easily, and therefore go about our business
far more successfully. It’s a really positive step forward, not
only for our towns but also for the whole country. I'm really
excited about it and I'm looking forward to getting on with the
design.

James, the government representative:

There will be a lot of new jobs created by this project and, once
it has been completed, more jobs will be made as local and
national business develops. It will cost £21 billion but that is a
small amount compared to the money the new link will bring
in. It will also bring us up to date with rail links in other
countries. We have had the technology to build a high-speed
railway for years, but the government has now found the
money to be able to make this happen.

Jane, the environmentalist:

I want the land affected by this route to remain as a haven for

wildlife and other creatures, which need the green fields to live
in. The land has been there for thousands of years and I don’t
think it should be torn up.

And it is so expensive. The money could surely be better used

elsewhere – developing rural industry, for example, and this
will help local people much better. We have enough railway
lines in our country – whenever I get on a train, it's only ever
half full.

Sarah, who lives in one of the affected areas:

Well, at first I wasn’t sure. It’ll take a long time to see any
benefit to the link. It’s not scheduled to be completed for
another eight years. Since it creates a lot of new jobs, I think
it’s a good idea. I agree we need to have green areas around
our towns, but if there are no jobs in the towns, people will

© OUP 2014: this can be reproduced for class use solely for the purchaser’s Page 1

Miguel, the train driver:
Trevor, the farmer:
© OUP 2014: this can be reproduced for class use solely for the purchaser’s
move away from them and so we won’t have a community to
enjoy those green fields. I can see both sides of this issue, but I
think I'll go with development, as it’s likely to benefit more
people. I have my doubts, though, and I might change my mind
when I see more of the detailed plans!
I've been working in this country as a driver for six years now
and I must say I’ve been very frustrated at times with how poor
the tracks are compared to my country. The trains are very
modern, though – I drive a train that can reach 225 miles an
hour. But the tracks are so old in places and need replacing.
The new rail link will have modern rails, of course, so I can't
wait. It will be a chance to travel at the kinds of speeds they do
in places like Japan and France – and I like a little bit of speed!
I do understand that we need to make progress in our industry.
Look at farming. We've moved on a lot in the last 30 years; we
have computers in tractors now and the way we manage our
crops is very sophisticated these days. So I can see that a high-
speed rail link is the way to go. Trouble is, it's due to go right
through the middle of our farm, and that makes it very
disruptive for us. It will upset any cattle we have grazing, and it
will effectively mean that we lose 15 per cent of our farmed
land. I know we’ll get some money as compensation, but I
think the result will be that we’ll stop farming here and sell the
farm. That's a shame, because farming has been a way of life
for me and my family here for over 200 years.
Page 2