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.
However, TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes warned ministers that they would be “liars, thieves and charlatans” if they short-changed the North and Midlands by not delivering HS2 in full.