Kenilworth man and his dog set to complete walk of entire HS2 route

A Kenilworth man and advocate with the Stop HS2 campaign will complete a walk of the entire proposed route of HS2 today (Monday September 16).
Joe Rukin, theStop HS2 campaign manager,and his dog EeveeJoe Rukin, theStop HS2 campaign manager,and his dog Eevee
Joe Rukin, theStop HS2 campaign manager,and his dog Eevee

Joe Rukin, the Stop HS2 campaign manager, and his dog Eevee expect reach London Euston station, specifically the Euston Tap in front of the station on Euston Road at around 3pm, after completing the final stretch of the route from the proposed Old Oak Common station in Acton.

Mr Rukin and his dog will have taken thirty days and over 400 miles to compete their walk, after setting off from the Birmingham Curzon Street and walking to Leeds, before getting the train to Manchester to come back down all the way to London.

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During the walk, Mr Rukin has pointed to much of the damage HS2 Ltd intend to do and displays of the incompetence and waste via daily vlogs and a single twitter thread, both spanning the thirty days the pair have been walking.

HS2 trainHS2 train
HS2 train

Mr Rukin said: “There has never been any rational case for HS2.

It's a colossal boondoggle that has only got this far because it has been pushed for by a multi-billion pound vested interest industry lobby, intent on getting their slice of billions of taxpayers pounds for building it, backed up by a tiny number of cheer-leading acolytes who have been conned by the spin surrounding this idiotic and pointless waste of money.

The Kenilworth Weekly News recently posted a story about the HS2 project being under review by the government.

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Mr Rukin added: “Whilst we welcome the current review of HS2, it is concerning that it is being conducted by a former chair of HS2 Ltd, and it is exceptionally worrying that work is about to start that would cause devastating and irreparable damage to the natural environment.

"It is quite simple, if the current review is a genuine go or no-go review, things like the wholesale clearance of ancient woodland has to stop now before it starts.

"Having walked the entire route, it is clear HS2 are gearing up to conduct an unprecedented attack on nature any moment, and it is no good to say in a few weeks that HS2 might be cancelled after irreversible damage has been done, this work must stop now.

“Everywhere I have walked, I have seen landscapes which are crying out not to be destroyed by this gargantuan and completely redundant white elephant.

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"It wasn’t until I found the last pear on the 250 year-old Cubbington Pear Tree and realised I might now be the last person ever to eat from it, that it sank in that I really was on a ‘last chance to see tour’, with HS2 due to unleash the full wrath of their destructive power this month, despite the project being under review and HS2 Ltd still not having received Notice to Proceed.

“It is increasingly evident that HS2 is in real trouble and it has to be cancelled not tomorrow, not in a couple of months, not after a review or two have concluded, but right now.

"HS2 will not deliver on the promises that are being made of it, there are more important priorities, it is incompatible with the climate emergency, the costs are out of control, the damage it will cause is simply not worth it, and it is quite clearly a 19th century solution for a 21st century world. Supporting HS2 at this point in time is quite simply standing on the wrong side of history. ”

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