‘An act of political spinelessness’: industry reacts to government’s rail plans
3 years, 1 month ago

‘An act of political spinelessness’: industry reacts to government’s rail plans

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Nigel Harris, managing editor of Rail magazine, told The Independent: “It’s dishonest, it won’t do what is claimed and will congest Yorkshire’s main lines even further to create even greater paralysis.” He called the decision: “An act of political spinelessness of such mind-numbing stupidity that it’s hard to find adjectives which adequately convey how moronic it really is. “So, before too long we’ll have created a fraction of the capacity which HS2 would have brought by upgrading the East Coast main line at huge cost and with massive disruption.” The promised £40bn high-speed link from Manchester to Leeds, known variously as Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS3, will be replaced with smaller projects. This madness creates a new east-west divide now down the Pennines.” Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “Levelling up cannot and will not happen without the full delivery of HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail together.” Last month the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced plans to incentivise more domestic flying with a cut in Air Passenger Duty. “That’s the stuff that the small businesses, the medium-sized businesses say is critically important if they’re going to expand.” But Mr Harris concluded: “Today’s decisions will hobble network capacity for decades, just when we need to be encouraging people away from cars and planes, and onto public transport.”

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History of this topic

HS2 boss issues stark warning for 2025
2 weeks, 1 day ago

HS2 boss issues stark warning for 2025

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy HS2 is in a “very serious situation” and needs a “fundamental reset”, the new boss of …

Northern’s plans to improve rail services slammed as ‘unacceptable’ and ‘vague’
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Northern’s plans to improve rail services slammed as ‘unacceptable’ and ‘vague’

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Proposals to improve rail services in the north have been slammed by regional politicians for being …

Review into rail fare-dodging enforcement after ‘egregious’ prosecutions
2 months ago

Review into rail fare-dodging enforcement after ‘egregious’ prosecutions

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In her first appearance before the Transport Select Committee, Louise Haigh said: “We have seen egregious examples of fare prosecutions …

Rail passengers urged ‘do not travel’ as lineside fire causes chaos on East Coast Main line
3 months ago

Rail passengers urged ‘do not travel’ as lineside fire causes chaos on East Coast Main line

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Tens of thousands of rail commuters and long-distance passengers face chaos on the UK’s premier route, …

‘HS2 light’ link to Manchester could replace scrapped line beyond Birmingham
3 months ago

‘HS2 light’ link to Manchester could replace scrapped line beyond Birmingham

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Ministers are considering a “HS2 light” railway line linking Birmingham and Manchester as part of a …

HS2: High-speed rail line will end at London Euston, transport secretary Louise Haigh indicates
3 months, 1 week ago

HS2: High-speed rail line will end at London Euston, transport secretary Louise Haigh indicates

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The transport secretary has indicated that HS2 will run into central …

HS2: Manchester mayor Andy Burnham says north faces ‘Armageddon’ without rail network
3 months, 3 weeks ago

HS2: Manchester mayor Andy Burnham says north faces ‘Armageddon’ without rail network

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The mayor of Greater Manchester has warned of slower trains and “Armageddon” in the North if …

Government faces end of year deadline to decide if HS2 will reach Euston
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Government faces end of year deadline to decide if HS2 will reach Euston

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Former prime minister Rishi Sunak said the London stretch of HS2 could only go ahead with private investment last October …

New report reveals slower and cheaper alternative to scrapped HS2 route
4 months ago

New report reveals slower and cheaper alternative to scrapped HS2 route

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The alternative route between Staffordshire and Cheshire, which would connect …

The public should never have been allowed to vote on Brexit
4 months, 2 weeks ago

The public should never have been allowed to vote on Brexit

The Independent  

All this talk about disenfranchising elderly people is predicated on one simple fact: we allowed a weak prime minister to unleash unscrupulous politicians to dupe the naive and unknowing into voting against their own best interests. David Smith Taunton Starmer’s Brexit strategy is a huge loss for young people I wasn’t expecting Keir Starmer to start the process of sorting …

Train drivers’ strike over? Now fix the real problems with the railway
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Train drivers’ strike over? Now fix the real problems with the railway

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan was right when he told me almost a year ago that …

‘Tap-in, tap-out’ to be extended to 90 more railway stations
11 months, 2 weeks ago

‘Tap-in, tap-out’ to be extended to 90 more railway stations

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Train passengers travelling to and from 90 railway stations in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester …

Minister admits rail reform legislation ‘unlikely’ before general election
1 year, 1 month ago

Minister admits rail reform legislation ‘unlikely’ before general election

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Transport secretary Mark Harper said it is “unlikely” that legislation to overhaul Britain’s railways will be …

HS2 cuts throw away once-in-a-generation opportunity, warns David Cameron
1 year, 3 months ago

HS2 cuts throw away once-in-a-generation opportunity, warns David Cameron

The Independent  

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Now HS2 northern leg is axed – what next for rail travel in the north?
1 year, 3 months ago

Now HS2 northern leg is axed – what next for rail travel in the north?

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rishi Sunak axed …

Transport projects supported by PM as HS2 axed north of Birmingham
1 year, 3 months ago

Transport projects supported by PM as HS2 axed north of Birmingham

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Downing Street said transport improvements …

HS2 scrapped: ‘Biggest two fingers to the North in decades’: Locals hit out at plans to scrap HS2
1 year, 3 months ago

HS2 scrapped: ‘Biggest two fingers to the North in decades’: Locals hit out at plans to scrap HS2

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Residents and business leaders have slammed the government’s decision to …

Transport secretary refuses eight times to discuss HS2 in painful BBC clash
1 year, 3 months ago

Transport secretary refuses eight times to discuss HS2 in painful BBC clash

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. She joined Boris Johnson, who said axing phase 2 would be a “betrayal” of the …

Scaled-back HS2 will jeopardise local investment, warns Tory Mayor
1 year, 3 months ago

Scaled-back HS2 will jeopardise local investment, warns Tory Mayor

The Telegraph  

Rishi Sunak’s plan to scrap the northern leg of HS2 will undermine hundreds of millions of pounds of investment in the West Midlands, the region’s Conservative mayor has warned. Andy Street urged Rishi Sunak to reconsider his opposition to the high-speed rail link, amid reports the Prime Minister is poised to scrap the Birmingham to Manchester section. The Tory mayor, …

Rishi Sunak ‘alarmed’ by spiralling cost of HS2 as he faces Cabinet split
1 year, 3 months ago

Rishi Sunak ‘alarmed’ by spiralling cost of HS2 as he faces Cabinet split

The Independent  

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High-speed rail was touted as a game-changer in Britain. Costs are making the government think twice
1 year, 3 months ago

High-speed rail was touted as a game-changer in Britain. Costs are making the government think twice

Associated Press  

LONDON — The British government confirmed Sunday it may scrap a big chunk of an overdue and over-budget high-speed rail line once touted as a way to attract jobs and investment to northern England. “We’ve seen very, very high global inflation in a way that no government could have predicted,” said Shapps, a former transportation secretary who now serves as …

Sunak set to cut off HS2’s northern leg as costs spiral – reports
1 year, 3 months ago

Sunak set to cut off HS2’s northern leg as costs spiral – reports

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. And in a letter to the Prime Minister, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said HS2 …

Labour not guilty of ‘great rail betrayal’ over HS2, Sir Keir Starmer insists
1 year, 3 months ago

Labour not guilty of ‘great rail betrayal’ over HS2, Sir Keir Starmer insists

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he is not guilty of …

Ministers accused of ‘rail betrayal’ as they refuse to confirm HS2 to Manchester
1 year, 3 months ago

Ministers accused of ‘rail betrayal’ as they refuse to confirm HS2 to Manchester

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Tories’ flagship levelling up project that reaches neither the North of England nor …

Labour studying HS2 costs amid questions over fate of Manchester leg
1 year, 3 months ago

Labour studying HS2 costs amid questions over fate of Manchester leg

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Fresh questions have been asked about the fate of the …

Labour refuses to commit to finishing HS2 rail project in full
1 year, 3 months ago

Labour refuses to commit to finishing HS2 rail project in full

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Labour is refusing to commit to completing the HS2 in full …

HS2 Stage 2 could be scrapped: Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt 'in talks to axe high speed rail route north of Birmingham' to save £34billion ahead of the next election (after already spending £2.3billion
1 year, 4 months ago

HS2 Stage 2 could be scrapped: Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt 'in talks to axe high speed rail route north of Birmingham' to save £34billion ahead of the next election (after already spending £2.3billion

Daily Mail  

Rishi Sunak is facing widespread anger today amid claims that the second stage of the controversial HS2 high-speed rail line could be axed to save money. Tory MP Michael Fabricant said scrapping Phase 2 would be 'sensible' and would protect rural areas north of his Litchfield constituency, where Phase 1 will join the current West Coast mainline. The Prime Minister's …

ScotRail to bring in off-peak tickets around the clock in six-month trial
1 year, 4 months ago

ScotRail to bring in off-peak tickets around the clock in six-month trial

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Peak fares are to be abolished for the winter by ScotRail, with the operator hoping to …

Leaked document ‘blows apart’ claims HS2 delay will save money – Labour
1 year, 10 months ago

Leaked document ‘blows apart’ claims HS2 delay will save money – Labour

The Independent  

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HS2 leg to be delayed and road projects slowed to make savings
1 year, 10 months ago

HS2 leg to be delayed and road projects slowed to make savings

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But Mr Harper said he was instead “prioritising” the initial services between Old Oak …

One million £1 train tickets available as Northern launches flash sale
2 years, 4 months ago

One million £1 train tickets available as Northern launches flash sale

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rail operator Northern has launched a flash sale, promising a million £1 tickets for journeys across …

Government’s rail cuts ‘letting down North and Midlands’ as MPs urge rethink
2 years, 5 months ago

Government’s rail cuts ‘letting down North and Midlands’ as MPs urge rethink

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy MPs have urged the government to reconsider its cuts to rail …

Major changes to the UK’s rail timetables come into effect on Sunday
2 years, 8 months ago

Major changes to the UK’s rail timetables come into effect on Sunday

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy “Huge cuts to rail services will hit communities across the North,” Labour’s transport spokesperson, Louise Haigh, …

Train fans could win £10k to become ‘Chief Environment Officers’ and promote UK rail travel
2 years, 8 months ago

Train fans could win £10k to become ‘Chief Environment Officers’ and promote UK rail travel

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Coinciding with Earth Day, the UK’s rail industry has launched a search for three ‘chief environment …

UK government faces criticism over high-speed rail revisions
3 years, 1 month ago

UK government faces criticism over high-speed rail revisions

Associated Press  

LONDON — The British government came under fire Thursday for scrapping a long-planned high-speed rail line to the northern English city of Leeds as part of a package of revisions that potentially reduces costs by tens of billions of pounds. Critics argue the scaling back of plans will leave many parts of north England, particularly those in eastern areas, at …

Now it's £1.3bn! Bill for HS2 goes up again after Covid delays and plan scale back Euston terminal
3 years, 2 months ago

Now it's £1.3bn! Bill for HS2 goes up again after Covid delays and plan scale back Euston terminal

Daily Mail  

The cost of delivering the first phase of HS2 is set to soar by £1.3 billion, the Government has admitted. The cost of delivering the first phase of a controversial high-speed rail project, HS2, is set to soar by £1.3 billion, due to delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and plans to scale back size of Euston terminal The ballooning …

Rail ‘betrayal’ for north and Midlands despite Boris Johnson levelling-up promises
3 years, 3 months ago

Rail ‘betrayal’ for north and Midlands despite Boris Johnson levelling-up promises

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Opposition parties said people would “feel betrayed and left behind” by the government’s “inability to …

London-Edinburgh for under £10: budget train link will give railcard discounts
3 years, 4 months ago

London-Edinburgh for under £10: budget train link will give railcard discounts

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The new cut-price rail link between London, Newcastle and Edinburgh will deliver even better value than …

Network Rail chair condemns billions squandered on botched GWR electrification
3 years, 7 months ago

Network Rail chair condemns billions squandered on botched GWR electrification

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The disastrous project to electrify the Great Western railway lines to South Wales and the West …

Great British Railways: How will new public sector body’s train network reforms work?
3 years, 7 months ago

Great British Railways: How will new public sector body’s train network reforms work?

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. With the future looking even more challenging, the review has been modified and has been reborn as the Williams-Shapps Plan …

Great British Railways: What powers will the new body have and will it cure our love-hate relationship with rail?
3 years, 7 months ago

Great British Railways: What powers will the new body have and will it cure our love-hate relationship with rail?

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The present system …

Weekend rail closures could disappear this summer
3 years, 10 months ago

Weekend rail closures could disappear this summer

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail, told the National Rail Recovery Conference 2021 that the coronavirus pandemic will transform …

How the government will squander £50m on empty trains this weekend
4 years, 2 months ago

How the government will squander £50m on empty trains this weekend

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As you may not know, the government is paying Avanti West Coast to run 150 trains connecting Manchester Piccadilly and …

What is HS2, when will it be completed and how much will it cost?
4 years, 11 months ago

What is HS2, when will it be completed and how much will it cost?

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Phase one involves building a line from London Euston via Old Oak Common in west London via Birmingham Interchange to …

HS2: Boris Johnson set to give green light for multi-billion pound rail project
4 years, 11 months ago

HS2: Boris Johnson set to give green light for multi-billion pound rail project

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham today appealed for him to put the section north of …

Upgrading existing railways instead of building HS2 would cause ‘absurd disruption’ for passengers, Network Rail chief warns
4 years, 11 months ago

Upgrading existing railways instead of building HS2 would cause ‘absurd disruption’ for passengers, Network Rail chief warns

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Haines added: “It’s very easy to talk about alternatives to HS2 but the disruption …

HS2 is the only option for Britain’s railways
5 years, 2 months ago

HS2 is the only option for Britain’s railways

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. HS2 will take express trains off the West Coast Main Line that links London …

HS2 may be a mess, but it’s still essential for the future of UK rail travel
5 years, 4 months ago

HS2 may be a mess, but it’s still essential for the future of UK rail travel

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As you may …

HS2: Boris Johnson’s government announces review into whether major rail project should be axed
5 years, 4 months ago

HS2: Boris Johnson’s government announces review into whether major rail project should be axed

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Federation of …

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