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Workers prepare the moulds for the concrete tunnel headwall in one of the two pre-cast factories built at the HS2 construction site in Chiltern, Buckinghamshire, ahead of tunnelling to start in 2021
THE government’s rail advisers called today for regional rail links to be prioritised over HS2.
The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has recommended that the government focus investment on boosting mainline services across the North and the Midlands rather than the eastern leg of the high-speed railway to Leeds.
Its Rail Needs Assessment stated that it would be “potentially cheaper and faster” to deliver improvements to regional journeys through a combination of new lines and upgrades, rather than Phase 2b of HS2.
The HS2 debacle exposes what happens when public infrastructure is handed to private contractors – especially when set against China’s state-led high-speed rail success, says CARLOS MARTINEZ
A just transition to Great British Railways and a clean and safe railway for all is not only desirable but also necessary. MARYAM ESLAMDOUST explains
