No HS2 in the North or East

[novocastrian]

anyone really suprised at this but the fork from Birmingham up the midlands to Leeds has been scrapped... routes will be 'upgraded' whatever that means... and what a nightmare trying to upgrade a live railway

a HST train that barely covers 200 miles (if it ever gets to Manchester) what a waste of money / resources

tbh didnt think it would ever reach the North East... we havnt even been deemed important enough for dual carriageways never mind decent rail links* Newcaste/Leeds to the West Manchester/Liverpool is a total nightmare


* although Newcastle to Kings X is 2:57-3:20 hrs on azuma which tbh i can live with

[YorkshireT]

So much for levelling up the North. Then again god knows why it takes 20 years to build.
It was obvious this was going to be scrapped a year ago, I messaged my MP about it then as the writing was on the wall.

[scooby99]

Not wanting to get into an argument re which branches of HS2 are going ahead or not.
But, it is a living nightmare trying to drive in many areas near us (particularly around the Old Oak Common area which will be a major HS2 hub); construction sites galore, temporary traffic lights everywhere, closed roads a plenty etc.
The chaos has been building up for 2 years and now appears in full flow and expected to last for many years to come.

[megaflyer]

It is such a shame but no not a surprise. We built the channel tunnel link and that was driven my Mrs Thatcher - without sometime like her at the helm to drive it forward with vigour and head off challenges we didn't stand a chance. Its a huge disappointment for my family up North but I don't think a surprise. HS1 from London to Kent is wonderful - we have the technology I am at a loss why this has failed and failed to embarrassingly publicly again

[novocastrian]

Originally Posted by scooby99

Not wanting to get into an argument re which branches of HS2 are going ahead or not.
But, it is a living nightmare trying to drive in many areas near us (particularly around the Old Oak Common area which will be a major HS2 hub); construction sites galore, temporary traffic lights everywhere, closed roads a plenty etc.
The chaos has been building up for 2 years and now appears in full flow and expected to last for many years to come.

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Indeed all this chaos for 200 miles of track at very most

[Lola]

But now the news media have forgotten about MPs corruption claims so timing is all

[themeparksandy]

This, the new metro line and the Commonwealth games have been such a nightmare getting round Birmingham and surrounding areas. I work 4 miles away and cause of the road works on the Coventry road (A45) it taken nearly 45 mins to a hour to get home in rush hour.

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by megaflyer

It is such a shame but no not a surprise. We built the channel tunnel link and that was driven my Mrs Thatcher - without sometime like her at the helm to drive it forward with vigour and head off challenges we didn't stand a chance. Its a huge disappointment for my family up North but I don't think a surprise. HS1 from London to Kent is wonderful - we have the technology I am at a loss why this has failed and failed to embarrassingly publicly again

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I am regularly on HS1 it’s very good as you say.

The disappointment here is Cities like Leeds, have pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and are actually fantastic and fairly wealthy cities, but many of the areas around and other cities in the area are fairly poor. Bradford is a prime example, it’s awful (although there’s places on the South coast which are not great either but at least places like Folkestone are seeing some improvement). But the underinvestment in the North generally is as old as the UK government. This has resulted in a gross (and almost unique) wealth inbalance which actually affects all the country negatively in some way or another.
I feel really let down by Boris here. Won’t affect me too much but I now see Leeds and surrounds being left behind long term, when it was poised to really be a powerhouse, and this affecting generations to come.

[myaquarium]

The uk government do not care about the north. None have since the 1960s. In fact the last time was probably ww2 when they relied on the men and women equally to their southern counterparts.
In London they have the greatest city transport in the world at affordable prices. They have spent billions on cycle lanes bridges buildings and the bankers.
The police force is properly funded and any emergency is met immediately by their specialist departments. Fabulous parks. Fantastic museums.
They are building cross rail which is not much more than 50 miles of railway at a cost of 20 billion pounds and rising.
As for the north. We are still running diesel trains due to lack of electrification. Buses have been replaced by transit vans in some areas. Our cycle lanes are 80 cm wide borrowed from the road. Yes not new cycle lanes but cones stuck in the floor. Cyclists are too frightened to use them. Pot holes everywhere. Hospitals closed down with new ones unfinished.
They built a bridge from Liverpool to reduce congestion to Cheshire and wales. Promising to open up the regions for business and the locals. Only to slap a £2 toll onto the people. Yet billions more are spent on tunnels and bridges in the bubble and no charges.
HS2 was the catalyst to levelling up the country. Bringing in the heart of the north to compete with the south. It’s no surprise they don’t want it. They would rather throw a few shilling and turn up their noses.
It breaks my heart when I hear parts of the uk wanting to break away for independence but it’s understandable. The uk should be renamed London and Sod the rest.

[DFussy]

My aquarium. I am sure that investment does need levelling up across the whole country, but as a southerner I think sometimes the rest of the country thinks the entire south east has what might be seen in central London.

I live in Greater London on the Kent border. We have cycle lanes exactly as you describe. When the qe2 bridge at dartford was built they instigated charges but promised they would stop when cost repaid, sold it to a private firm and never going to stop charging more than twenty years later.

Our local hospital closed wards a&e and maternity no fracture clinic. The hospital we are supposed to go to is about twenty minutes away at least and has just gone into the ulez charge zone so if you have an old car and need any of these services you are stuffed. Our local police station closed over five years ago.

I hope that they are right in saying the new plan can provide better services more quickly but it is a broken promise.