High Speed 2 rail link: secret northern routes revealed

High Speed 2 rail link: secret northern routes revealed

 The first detailed map of the planned route of the northern sections of the controversial 34 billion High Speed 2 rail link can be revealed. The proposed Y-shaped route will see trains speeding through countryside in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire - with one branch skirting Cannock Chase, which is officially designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The western branch will pass from Birmingham through the constituencies of two cabinet ministers - George Osborne, the Chancellor (Tatton), and Andrew Mitchell, the International Development Secretary (Sutton Coldfield), before reaching Manchester.

Once open, together with the southern section linking London and Birmingham, journey times from the capital to Manchesterwill be shortened from two hours, eight minutes to one hour, 20 minutes, while a journey between Londonand Leeds will be cut from two hours, 20 minutes to one hour, 20 minutes.

Ministers have published detailed route maps showing the 17billion London to Birmingham section, where construction is likely to start in 2017 with the first trains using the route in 2026. However, up to now they have refused to publish maps of the northern spurs - even though the routes have been subject to public consultation - leading to accusations that tens of thousands of people do not yet know that their homes will be affected by the route.

Campaigners have used material provided by HS2 Ltd, the company set up by the government to develop the proposal for a high-speed route, as well as information found in the Department for Transport's (DfT) consultation document, to draw up the map which The Sunday Telegraph publishes today.

Jerry Marshall, chairman of AGAHST (Action Groups Against High Speed Two), which carried out the analysis, Said: "It is clear that the government was hoping to limit the opposition to this massively expensive white elephant by simply not publishing the full route.

To read the artilce please click http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/8570029/High-Speed-2-rail-link-secret-northern-routes-revealed.html

The Sunday Telegraph 12 June