May i suggest that the rest of HS2 is scrapped and the trackbed available is turned into a Heritage Railway?
Job done Rachel.

Mind blowing the cost of scrapping 100% with the money spent on buying land, work on Euston and Birmingham stations tunnels, track and compensation for the contractors.Sections for tunnels are being fabricated at the old Hereema Yard.
Never again should the government be allowed to control any projects, private contractors, fixed price and penalty clause if not completed on time.

No more trains lined up into the docks with the concrete sections on board ….is the entire project scrapped

Aye well done Rachel a few more on the dole in Hartlepool.

The analysts scrutinizing Labour's plans did forecast that to do what they wanted they would have to either cut services and benefits or raise taxes or a combination of both.
It's what we've inherited will only carry credence for so long.
Above inflation public pay awards, especially with the doctors threatening a one month walk out is going to be a big test of their resolve.
The going is tough and it's going to get tougher.
Feeling a bit apprehensive about the Autumn budget.
I don't think I would bet on any change being for the better just yet.
Possible not for a long time yet.
I hope they get it right cos I know who's gonna cop it if they don't.

They were for the southern end started manufacturing in 2021 might be completed now, cuts have to made and it’s not only people in Hartlepool who will lose their jobs, why carry on building a white elephant railway project, it should have been scrapped years ago.

It's going to Birmingham...........oh I see what you mean.

I am not sure how to interpret your reply Derwent, the tunnel sections are for the Southern leg Derwent, the Northolt tunnel East, and 5miles of twin bored tunnel for the Euston tunnel between Old Oak Common and Euston. At the end of the day do we as individuals want to see tax increase on our pensions or a cancel a project which will have minimal or ne benefit to the U.K. economy ?

I take from what i have read in the gutter press this this is the £20 billion capital black hole not a revenue black hole. The problem is the journos who do not have a clue about finance, writing reports on financial issues.
I have googled public sector capital spend per year which is £136 billion per year making £20B 15%.Spread these cuts over a number of years, scrap the £3B Stonehenge project plus a few others and job done.
As long as non of it is in the North.

Personally I wouldn’t have shelled out all that money to cut half an hour off the journey to Birmingham to London
Who the feck would want to go to Birmingham anyway

Dead against it. My reference to Brummy is tongue in cheek.
The money that has been chucked at this project could have been better used across the whole network in my opinion. I'm no expert though.

Yes Mr D I and most others seem to agree with that sentiment. As its now already been partially cancelled and as no benefits will accrue from the London to Birmingham bit lets put it in the slow lane as regard construction goes and spend the money on projects that deliver economic and social benefit.

Badly thought out and costed, it’s quite amazing how quickly the costs rocketed week on week, the contractors were taking the p*** out of the government as they all do wether a be local council projects or central government ones.
The figures are eye watering, the government just treat our taxes like confetti, Fraud and error are likely to have cost the UK government as much as £16bn across the Covid-19 emergency loan schemes, according to parliament’s spending watchdog, which described the losses as “unacceptable”.

its not about birmingham and it never was. its about getting to london a bit quicker and quicker its realised that the UK is more than just inside the M25 the better for the rest of us all. it should never have been built from the outset and would it have been started now with the country in a mess that its in and peoples working habits changed after covid.