LONG journey for proposals
January 2009: Hopes of a high-speed rail link between Yorkshire and London suffered a setback after Ministers ordered proposals for a line only as far as the Midlands.
February 2009: The Government said it may consider building two high speed lines to the North with one passing through the heart of Yorkshire.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdMarch 2010: The Government reaffirmed its pledge to take plans for High Speed Rail forward but failed to provide any concrete figures for how the whole network would be funded.
June 2010: The campaign for a direct high-speed rail link between Yorkshire and London was boosted after Tory Ministers signalled they were willing to rethink proposals to force passengers to go via Manchester.
October 2010: Government announces it will back “Y” shaped network after all, giving direct high-speed link to Yorkshire.
Early 2011: Consultation to be published on entire high-speed network as detailed plans for route from Birmingham to South Yorkshire and Leeds are drawn up.
2015 onwards: Work starts on London to Birmingham line.
Early 2020s: Work starts from Birmingham to South Yorkshire and Leeds, taking about seven years to complete.