Reform UK would axe any high-speed northern rail schemes, says Richard Tice

"Outside a bubble of politicians, journalists and construction industry lobbyists, the voters of the north do not want, and never have wanted, a handful of high-speed rail lines, serving a handful of big cities They want the money to be spent on the often failing railways (and roads) that they actually use."

"To anyone tempted to bid for the Liverpool-Manchester high-speed scheme, or the revived northern leg of HS2, I giv"

Reform deputy leader Richard Tice warned that a Reform government would axe any high-speed rail schemes earmarked for the north and redirect the funds toward more needed priorities. Labour is expected to revive Northern Powerhouse Rail, including a proposed £17bn Liverpool–Manchester line that would reuse parts of the previously cancelled HS2 northern leg. Tice made the comments in a foreword to a Policy Exchange report by Andrew Gilligan and argued northern voters prefer investment in local, often failing, railways and roads rather than a few high-speed lines serving major cities. Rising Reform polling could jeopardise northern rail plans.

Read at www.theguardian.com