When Rishi Sunak announced at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester back in October that he was cancelling the High Speed line north of Birmingham it seemed like the end of the scheme
However reports in this morning’s Observer newspaper suggest that all is not lost
The paper reports that it is very unlikely that any land bought by the government for the route will be sold before the general election expected later this year which would give an opportunity for an incoming Government to reverse the decision
It means says the report that “whoever wins the next election will have the option of reviving the project. However, its sudden cancellation, as well as the difficulty in securing the expertise required to build the scheme, mean it may then be even more expensive to deliver.
The option on the table and said to have the backing of Andy Burnham and the West Midlands Mayor Andy Street is to create a link between Birmingham and Manchester airport with private backing.
A meeting between the group and transport secretary Mark Harper is due to take place later this month says the report with the Government said to be open to suggestions to improve the West Coast Corridor which could be at maximum capacity by the end of the decade
