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In the north of England, the arguments over whether to push on with the HS2 project are as polarised as they are in Westminster. Amy Walker speaks to those opposed to HS2
Ask commuters in the north of England what improvements they would like to see on the railways and their wishlist is usually fairly modest: regular, reliable services with adequate carriages, non-leaking roofs and toilets that don’t empty straight out on to the track. Forget USB ports or wifi. Justthe basics – and some dignity.
Few would put at the top of their list a £100bn-plus railway that will get them to London an hour quicker.
Transport secretary tells MPs they ‘won’t have to wait long’ amid continuing opposition
Speculation that a decision on HS2 will be made early next week is mounting as the prime minister and key figures are understood to have held final talks on the controversial project.
The chancellor, Sajid Javid, who has publicly swung behind the scheme, and the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, are believed to have met Boris Johnson as the high-speed line continues to divide opinion among backbenchers.
The chancellor is set to support the controversial rail project at a meeting with Boris Johnson and the transport secretary, Grant Shapps
That was a display from Dominic Raab and Mike Pompeo of US-UK unity ahead of Brexit, with disagreements over Huawei, Iran and the Harry Dunn depicted as blips that could be overcome.
Instead, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, reiterated that the UK would be “at the front of the line” when it comes to a trade deal, with both parties concurring that this was achievable before November’s presidential election in November.
There is a follow up question on Harry Dunn from CBS.
Raab says he had a “good conversation with Mike” about it.
Alan Wenban-Smith says it is revealing that his report on the regional impact of the high-speed rail scheme was not published
Nils Pratley hits the nail on the head (Lobbyists may be having a field day justifying HS2’s burgeoning cost, but a rethink is long overdue, 21 January). In 2009 I reported to the promoters that the benefits of high-speed rail beyond the south-east would require a well-integrated national plan for complementary measures (transport and non-transport). Without such a plan – and a regional delivery mechanism – high-speed rail risked making regional disparities worse.
Fast forward to today: such limited regional mechanisms as existed have been dismantled, while the concept of high-speed rail has given birth to the present scheme. The case for HS2 rested heavily on the economic benefit of user time savings, making speed vital. This led to a higher speed specification than elsewhere in Europe, adding to the cost and environmental impact, while reducing flexibility in routing.
As Boris Johnson assesses project, Tory mayor for West Midlands warns of political cost of scrapping it
Scrapping the HS2 rail project will cost at least £12 billion in write-offs and compensation and plunge major construction companies into financial peril, ministers are being warned.
Sources close to the beleaguered scheme told the Observer that extra costs of £3bn-£4bn would be incurred even if it were scrapped immediately. £9bn has been spent already. With the issue causing tension inside the Conservative party, Whitehall insiders said that Boris Johnson could decide on the fate of the project as soon as this week as concerns grow that costs are spiralling out of control. Billions have already been spent on the first leg of the line linking Birmingham and London.
Over 40 MPs have warned against making ‘false choice’ over rail infrastructure project
More than 40 Conservative MPs have written to the prime minister to urge him not to cancel HS2, exposing deep divisions within the party over the future of the new railway line from London to the north of England.
At least 30 MPs, including former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell, signed a joint letter on Tuesday night that calls on Boris Johnson to deliver the “long overdue” rail line in full, despite costs apparently spiralling to £106bn, arguing it will be a “key engine for growth that we must not waver from”.
Report calls for work on second phase of high-speed rail project to be put on hold for six months
The political battle over HS2 has intensified following the leak of a government review that found the costs of the high-speed rail link could reach £106bn, leaving supporters in the north fearing the government may scale back or axe the project.
The draft report said there is a “considerable risk” that costs could rise by another 20% from the last estimate in September, which priced the scheme at £81bn-£88bn. The original budget was £34bn.
Railway operator apologises for delay of more than 24 hours to Johannesburg-Cape Town train
South Africa’s state-owned rail operator has apologised after passengers were left stranded for more than a day on a train from Johannesburg to Cape Town.
Shosholoza Meyl said the train, which departed on Sunday, was scheduled to arrive in Cape Town on Monday evening. It is now expected to arrive late on Tuesday.
Striking French rail workers have clashed with riot police in Paris after holding a demonstration against pension changes despite Emmanuel Macron’s call for a Christmas truce. Hundreds of trade unionists and protesters gathered outside Gare de Lyon on Monday morning. The nationwide transport strikes have dragged on for a 19th day, causing what the state rail operator SNCF has described as 'ongoing severe disruption' to services
Morning, my name is Aamna Mohdin and I’m running the live blog on the South Western Railway (SWR) strike. SWR is one of the busiest commuter lines in the country – used by about 600,000 passengers daily – and all who use the service are expected to be affected.
Here’s some background from our transport correspondent, Gwyn Topham. He reports:
A month of misery for hundreds of thousands of rail commuters begins on Monday when RMT members of South Western Railway walk out on the first of 27 days of strike action.
Hundreds of guards and a small number of drivers will not clock on for work again this Christmas, apart from on election day on 12 December, in a bitter row over the role and responsibilities of onboard train crew. The train firm was among others to be hit by similar strike action last year over the role of guards.
Transport police believe victim came into contact with overhead power cables
A man seen on fire after coming into contact with overhead cables at a Birmingham train station is in a life-threatening condition in hospital.
Paramedics, police and firefighters were called after reports that a man had been seriously injured at Birmingham New Street station on Sunday at about 8am. A British Transport Police spokeswoman said that paramedics and police had arrived quickly at the scene and treated the man for “burns injuries”.
TfL says aim is for the London rail link to open ‘as soon as practically possible in 2021’
Crossrail will not open until 2021 and has incurred a further cost overrun that will take the total price of the London rail link to more than £18bn, Transport for London (TfL) has announced.
The latest assessment for the opening of the central section has ruled out late 2020 and the aim is for Crossrail to open “as soon as practically possible in 2021”, the capital’s transport authority said. TfL had previously said the Elizabeth line, as the service will be called, was unlikely to start running before 2021 but had kept an autumn 2020 opening in its plans.
Meadowhall in Sheffield says those who wish to stay can, due to ‘extreme conditions’ outside
People trapped by flood water in a shopping mall near Sheffield have been told they can leave but were warned there will be severe delays due to “extreme weather conditions”.
People at the Meadowhall shopping centre had earlier been told to stay put by police and not to attempt to leave the mall after flooding left roads gridlocked.
A station employee saved a passenger who had fallen on to the tracks just before a train was about to hit him. John O’Connor was making sure passengers stayed away from the yellow safety strip when the man accidentally fell on to the tracks as the southbound train was approaching the Coliseum station in Oakland, California, on Sunday. Speaking after the incident, O’Connor said he would ‘like to think anybody else standing there would have done the same thing’
The government dreamed of a metropolis that is a beacon to all but the pace of change has left some behind and others disillusioned
Tāmaki Makaurau, the Māori name for Auckland which can be translated as “the place desired by many”, is living up to its billing. The city’s population has swelled rapidly to 1.7 million and is estimated to be adding 40,000 people a year. By 2048 it could host nearly half of New Zealand’s current population.
In the 1980s only a couple of thousand people lived in the central city. Now some 57,000 people call it home, a figure that was not expected to be reached until 2032.
Operators admit target to end ‘disgusting practice’ by the end of the year will not be met
A pledge to end the dumping of human waste on railway tracks in England and Wales by the end of the year will no longer be met, Network Rail and train firms have admitted.
Although Network Rail’s former chief executive, Mark Carne, said in 2017 he had secured government agreement to end the “disgusting practice” by 2019, several companies will continue to use trains whose toilets flush directly onto the track.
A gas canister being used by passengers to cook breakfast exploded on a train between Karachi and Rawalpindi, officials have said. The resulting fire destroyed three carriages in the south of Punjab province. Most people died while trying to jump off the moving train, according to the railways minister
Most passengers died trying to jump off moving train to escape blaze in Punjab, say officials
At least 70 people have died and dozens have been injured after a fire broke out on a passenger train in Pakistan.
Footage showed three of the carriages engulfed by flames, with dark smoke pouring out of the windows, and witnesses said they heard trapped passengers crying and screaming.