HS2 has been controversial from day dot, thanks to its mammoth pound price tag, slow pace, and impact on the neighbourhoods it passes through. The high-speed railway was originally meant to be a 330-mile long rail network intended to improve links between London, the West Midlands and the North.
But now there is widespread speculation that the part of the line linking Birmingham to Manchester will be scrapped, after the Leeds leg of the line was abandoned in 2021. According to The Independent, news of its demise will be announced at the Tory conference in Manchester tomorrow.
At the time of writing, Downing Street has denied that a final decision has been made about the whole thing and Rishi Sunak says he ‘won’t be forced into a premature decision’. Nevertheless, Northerners have already been reacting to the news with frustration.
Abigail Roscoe, a 49-year-old from the Peak District told the Manchester Evening News: ‘It is a disappointment. If you're going to do it, then do it all. The north always gets the s*** end of the stick and has done for years.’
She added: ‘We have never had a good connection with the south. Even now the trains are pretty slow and are expensive. Whatever the weather, transport in the north has always been poorly run.’
Here’s what some other Northerners (and one Brummie) have had to say over on X (Twitter to you and me):
The mayor of Manchester seems like a good place to start.
This package will not deliver the new east-west line promised in the last three Conservative Manifestos.
— Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) October 3, 2023
The North is being betrayed and people here won’t forget it. https://t.co/mV37YI9Mbu
And the mayor of B'ham isn't too happy either.
I wasn’t expecting this in Manchester, but I won’t let HS2 go without a fight.
— Andy Street (@andy4wm) October 2, 2023
The offer to the PM is there - work with me and the private sector, grip the costs, and build Britain’s future. pic.twitter.com/JYBdkbGxHS
Some food for thought...
Announcing that you’re scrapping the Manchester leg of HS2 whilst in a disused railway station in Manchester that you had to fly to because the train workers were on strike is…. I was going to say ironic but I’m going to call it moronic.
— harry x (@harryjonesxx) October 2, 2023
Once again, 'The Simpsons' are eerily relatable.
My Spanish friend asked me about HS2 and I said that Britain is essentially just living that episode of The Simpsons where everyone is conned by the monorail salesman. pic.twitter.com/QKylekvMqH
— Supertanskiii (@supertanskiii) October 2, 2023
This social media user has done the hard detective work and revealed the true cause of the scrappage.
The real reason HS2 was doomed https://t.co/56x5Emzt4I
— Terri White (@Terri_White) October 3, 2023
The HS2 project has proved to be far more expensive than first predicted (the original bill was £37.5bn but by 2021 the estimated cost was up to £98bn) and many protested against its detrimental impact on the British countryside. Others say that it would have a positive environmental impact in the long-term by reducing the need to drive and benefit local economies by making it easier to travel between the north and south of the country. For now, its future hangs in the balance, but there will be much more disappointment and frustration to follow if the feared announcement follows this week.
Did you see that a giant ‘fireball’ lit up the sky over Oxfordshire last night?
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