In January this year, Transport Secretary Junstine Greening announced changes to the proposed HS2 High Speed Rail link from London to the Midlands that will add an extra £500 million to the total cost. According to The Huffington Post:

Various changes to the proposed route of HS2 were announced today in an attempt to appease local residents and to ward off a possible Tory rebellion from MPs whose constituencies are affected.

Compared to the route on which the Government consulted, there will be a 50% increase in tunnels, totalling around 22.5 miles.

In addition, around 56.5 miles of the 140 miles of the London to West Midlands line will be partially or totally hidden in cutting.

In the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) just over 1.5 miles of the route will be visible.

Where are NGT’s underpasses, tunnels and cuttings?

There is clearly nothing modern about NGT, despite the “New” in the project’s title. Our Victorian great-grandparents would be ashamed at our council’s lack of dynamic thinking.

(photo courtesy of henskechristine)