More capacity is needed on Britain’s railways  Capacity on the railways is a big problem in the UK. Due to growth since privatisation Britain’s railways take as many passengers as it is physically possible to do; more than a fifth of rush hour passengers have to stand. [1] Growth is almost certain to continue as the roads too are at capacity and population continues to rise. The result is more railways are needed. Rail freight meanwhile if forecast to double by the 2040s. The West Coast Main Line is a particular bottleneck for freight with 40% of UK freight services using the line; any increase would have to come at the expense of passenger services. [2] Transferring the main rail services to the high speed line would free up the WCML to increased freight and commuter use so HS2 would not just mean an increase in long distance capacity.  [1] BBC News, ‘London-bound train overcrowding: 100,000 have to stand’, 24 July 2013,   [2] Department for Transport, ‘The Strategic case for HS2’, gov.uk, October 2013,  , p.50, 54