Ministers postpone rail fare increase following HS2 cuts backlash December 2, 2021 A UK Government announcement regarding a 3.8 per cent increase in rail fares from March was postponed last week following the backlash caused by the slashing of rail investments in the north. Rail fares in England and Wales will see the biggest increase in nine years, the Guardian reported exclusively after seeing leaked documents. A [...]
Former Chancellor predicts PM will U-turn on HS2 cuts November 21, 2021 Former Chancellor George Osborne has predicted Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make a U-turn on the government’s decision to cut HS2’s eastern leg. Talking to the Financial Times’ Payne’s Politics podcast, Osborne – who was Chancellor from 2010 to 2015 during David Cameron’s government – labelled the decision to scale back on HS2 as “pretty [...]
Railway industry says HS2 cuts will hinder net zero and levelling up agenda November 18, 2021 Railway industry stakeholders have hit back against the government’s decision to cut the eastern leg of HS2, which was initially planned to connect Birmingham and Leeds. Speaking at Commons, Shapps argued that the changes made to the £100bn Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) “will bring benefits at least a decade or more earlier” and that they [...]
Government faces backlash over HS2 overhaul November 17, 2021 The government is facing criticism from small businesses and rail unions over plans to overhaul the designs for HS2. Transport Secretary Grant Schapps will tomorrow announce changes to the planned HS2 rail routes between major cities in the North and Midlands as part of the government’s £96bn “Integrated Rail Plan.” The rumoured redesign has drawn [...]
HS2’s eastern to be scrapped while northern railways get £100bn November 14, 2021 Transport secretary Grant Shapps is expected to face criticism over the rumoured decision to scrap HS2’s eastern leg that would connect Birmingham to Leeds. Announcing the outcome of the Rail Integrated Plan on Thursday, Shapps is likely to confirm the decision, while setting forth an almost £100bn investment in the English railway network, the Sunday [...]
HS2 blamed for shortage in construction industry’s key concrete supplies October 31, 2021 Builders have blamed HS2 for hoovering up key construction supplies before ordinary customers can get to them, resulting in industry-wide concrete shortages and rising prices. The UK’s flagship rail project is exacerbating global supply chain issues caused by a HGV driver shortage and international shipping delays, construction firms have warned. As a results, builders working [...]
Campaigners granted High Court hearing over HS2 tunnel row October 26, 2021 Environmental campaigners are set to go to the High Court on 28 October over the impact of an HS2 tunnel in the Chiltern Hills. The environmentalists have sought legal action to save the River Misbourne, asking for the HS2 bore tunnel not to be constructed on the site. According to campaigners, the methods and risks [...]
HS2 trains on Yorkshire leg will run on existing track as part of government scaling back October 24, 2021 As part of the UK Government’s scaling back on the HS2 project, high-speed trains will run on existing tracks between Yorkshire and the Midlands, the Independent reported exclusively. In addition to a station in Leeds, the government is said to build only a new line to connect the city to South Yorkshire, leaving high-speed trains [...]
‘Euston seven’ who lived 31 days in HS2 tunnels have all charges dismissed October 7, 2021 Seven Londoners who lived in a 100 ft network of tunnels under Euston Square Gardens for 31 days to stop HS2 have had all charges dismissed, the group told City A.M. this morning. The defendants were part of a group of nine people, aged 16-48, who occupied the tunnels between 27 January and 27 February [...]
Future of HS2 uncertain as Grant Shapps will not ‘blindly follow’ decades old-plans October 4, 2021 Speculation over the future of the eastern route of the HS2 is mounting after Grant Shapps said he is not planning to “blindly follow” plans dawn up 20 years ago. In an interview with the Financial Times today, the Transport Secretary signalled that a major rethink of the high-speed rail project between Birmingham and Leeds [...]