Govt slammed for 'betraying the North' as HS2 Leeds leg scrapped

18 November 2021, 11:18 | Updated: 18 November 2021, 16:33

The HS2 leg to Leeds has been scrapped.
The HS2 leg to Leeds has been scrapped. Picture: Alamy

By Sophie Barnett

The eastern leg of HS2 to Leeds has been scrapped and a full high-speed east-west line linking Manchester to Leeds will not be built, the government has confirmed.

It marks a scaling back of long-awaited railway plans for the North and Midlands, which were announced by Grant Shapps today.

Mr Shapps confirmed that the eastern leg of HS2 was being scrapped while the planned Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) was being curtailed.

Bradford has been missed out from the NPR, as the plans originally envisioned.

Instead, the route between Leeds and Manchester will be half made up of a new high speed line, with the other half consisting of upgrades to existing track.

The transport secretary said the £96 billion "integrated rail plan" would slash journey times across the region with 110 miles of new high-speed line.

But Labour said the package unveiled in the House of Commons abandoned previous assurances given on the extension of HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail – and described the announcement as a "great train robbery".

Shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon added that the government has "betrayed" the North.

Read more: Raab denies levelling up promise is being broken as HS2 Leeds leg scrapped

West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin said the rail plan was a "betrayal of the North" and a "betrayal of the Government's levelling-up promise".

The Labour mayor said it was a "20th century upgrade to 19th century infrastructure" rather than the promised new lines.

She said the plan "doesn't deliver HS2 in full to Leeds, it doesn't deliver a high-speed line across the Pennines with that crucial city stop in Bradford, it does not support our ambition as northern leaders for a stronger, fairer and better-connected North for all".

"Whitehall seems not to have listened to northern voices. HS2 will now stop short of Yorkshire and the high-speed Northern Powerhouse Rail will stop at the border. This is not levelling up."

Rail customer service agent wants network that makes his job obsolete

SNP transport spokesman Gavin Newlands said: "I do admire the secretary of state's chutzpah for the most bullish U-turn I've yet seen in this place."

Mr Shapps had told MPs: "I've heard some people say that we're just going about electrifying the TransPennine route – this is wrong.

"What we're actually doing is investing £23 billion to deliver Northern Powerhouse rail and the TransPennine route upgrade, unlocking east-west travel across the north of England.

"So, in total, this package is 110 miles of new high-speed line, all of it in the midlands and the north. "It's 180 miles of newly-electrified line, all of it in the midlands and the north."

Read more: Raab denies levelling up promise is being broken as HS2 Leeds leg scrapped

Caller: How many people have already lost their homes to HS2 track?

He added: "We'll upgrade the east coast mainline with a package of investment on track improvements and digital signalling, bringing down journey times between London, Leeds, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh – bringing benefits to the North East much, much sooner than under the previous plans."

Mr Shapps also said: "We'll study how best to take HS2 trains into Leeds as well."

This story is being updated

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

The NHS logo.

NHS launches new drive to find more people with deadly pancreatic cancer

Doctor injecting collagen into young womans lip

Warning over 'Wild West' treatments as procedures such as lip injections and butt lifts 'offered in public toilets'

Pamela Anderson arrives on the red carpet at the 2025 Met Gala

Pamela Anderson says filters and AI being used on photos has led to people becoming 'boring-looking'

Donald Trump has called for the "unconditional surrender" of Iran

Trump calls for 'unconditional surrender' from Iran - as US President 'considering US strike on Iran'

A man walks past empty shelves in a branch of the Co-op in Manchester following the major cyber attack.

Major UK supermarket offering 25% off £40 shops in ‘thank you’ to members after cyber attack

Cyclists are sending a record amount of video footage to police after being overtaken too closely by motorists, new figures show.

Cyclists sending record number of videos to police after being overtaken too closely by drivers, figures show

Exclusive
Suspended chief constable Nick Adderley

Disgraced police chief Nick Adderley slammed for ‘unacceptable’ role in Harry Dunn case

Grenfell tower cover in white tarpaulin

Government pressed over why Grenfell cladding ‘crooks’ not behind bars

Donald Trump is said to be considering joining Israel in striking Iran

Trump 'considering US strike on Iran' - hours after claiming to know supreme leader's location

The biggest lottery prize the UK has seen could still be won after Tuesday’s EuroMillions draw had no winners.

EuroMillions record £208 million jackpot won by single ticket holder

Referee David Coote has been sacked.

Sacked Premier League referee David Coote charged by FA over ‘German c***’ Jurgen Klopp comments

Exclusive
Relatives of the Palestinians killed in Israeli attack, mourn as they carry the bodies to Nasser hospital for funeral procedures in Khan Yunis

Israeli Ambassador denies IDF is 'targeting civilians' as medics say 59 Palestinians killed by IDF at aid distribution centre

The man given a restraining order for stalking British number one Emma Raducanu has been caught trying to obtain tickets for this summer’s Wimbledon.

Emma Raducanu stalker caught trying to obtain Wimbledon tickets after tennis star was left 'shaken' by 'fixated' man

Eight-month-old Mabli had just said a final goodbye to her paternal grandmother Betty Hall, who was receiving end-of-life care at the Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest.

Driver who ran over and killed eight-month-old baby in pram has sentence cut

Exclusive
UK 'not going to be involved' in 'protecting' Israel during Iran conflict, Israeli ambassador confirms

UK 'not going to be involved' in 'protecting' Israel during Iran conflict, Israeli ambassador tells LBC

Abortion rights actvists gather outside the parliament in support of decriminalisation.

MPs vote to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales in historic Commons vote