Senior Conservative MPs, regional leaders and industry figures have accused ministers of betraying the north with a delayed and downgraded £96bn rail plan. The Integrated Rail Plan sets out a scaling back of the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) project and the axing of the planned east Midlands to Leeds high-speed line, with HS2 trains instead running on existing upgraded routes. However, the core route that northern leaders hoped for, a new high-speed line from Manchester to Leeds via Bradford, will not be built. The papersThe Guardian leads today with “‘Betrayal of the north’: fury over delayed and downgraded rail plan”. Sign upThe Guardian Morning Briefing is delivered to thousands of inboxes bright and early every weekday.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 19, 2021 09:40 UTC