4 October 2023

With the eastern leg cancelled, again, when can we expect safeguarding to be removed? Although cancelled in November 2021, and despite initial promises safeguarding would be removed, it is still in place today. At one point the Minister stated 12-18 months, then it was pushed pending a rail review, in case any of the land was needed. That review should have eventually started early this year, but the last we heard was that the terms of reference for the review were to be drawn up over the summer. Essentially it is yet to take place, and now today’s announcements probably add yet further delay to getting our lives back.

Today’s speech commits that in place of HS2 [north of Birmingham], £36 billion will be invested in 100’s new transport projects in the North, Midlands and rest of the country.

Network North will deliver a 30 minute journey time from Manchester to a new station at Bradford, 42 minutes to Sheffield and 84 minutes to Hull will electrification of the routes.

Other promises are: £12bn will be invested in Liverpool to Manchester link. A new Midland rail hub will link 50 stations. West Midlands metro will be extended. Leeds will get a tram. Electrification of North Wales main line. Upgrades to A1, A2, A5, M6 and the A75 connecting Scotland and Northern Ireland. A bypass for Shipley and relief road for Blythe. A further 70 roads schemes and resurfacing of roads across the country. Bringing back Don Valley Line, improvements to Carlisle, Workington to Barrow coastline route, and building 100’s of other schemes.

Commitment to £2 bus fare across the whole country.

Intention to complete HS2 from Birmingham to Euston, with HS2 trains running to Manchester saving 30 minutes. New plans for Euston station save £6.5bn which will fund projects elsewhere in the country.

He said: “The management of HS2 will no longer be responsible for the Euston site. There must be some accountability for the mistakes made, for the mismanagement of this project. We will instead create a new Euston development zone building thousands of new homes for the next generation of homeowners, new business opportunities and a station that delivers the capacity we need.”

Read more:

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/what-the-plan-to-launch-network-north-means-for-you

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/find-out-about-every-new-transport-project-in-your-region