Delays over the future of HS2 is a failure of political leadership - The Yorkshire Post says

What should have been a flagship scheme that represented a modern future of Britain is being reduced to a tokenistic monument.

But it is a monument of failure given just how far plans have been pared back.

What is an even bigger failure is the Government’s inability to level with the people in the region over whether HS2 will actually even reach parts of Yorkshire.

The Government appeared to scale back plans for the high-speed line to save money, as part of the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) in November 2021, and said the eastern leg would stop at East Midlands Parkway. However, several Ministers came out and said services would eventually reach Leeds.

Yet a decision is not set to be made for another couple of years, so much for a powerhouse.

The original premise of HS2 was sold on the wrong lines. It wasn’t just about faster journey times to and from the capital.

Instead it is about extra capacity. Only last week business leaders from the region heading to the British Chamber of Commerce’s Global Annual Conference at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London found themselves stranded after a train broke down near Peterborough. Large parts of the network were paralysed as a result.

The Government cannot continue to hide behind the Leeds Area Study. Trust has already been badly eroded.

Beyond HS2, the region is desperately in need of a transformational plan when it comes to the rail network here. At the heart of that vision needs to be Northern Powerhouse Rail, implemented in full, as soon as possible.