Responding to the news that HS2 legislation failed to mention the construction of phase 2b, the line from Birmingham to Leeds, IEA Head of Transport Dr Richard Wellings was quoted in the Telegraph saying: “The whole HS2 scheme is essentially a vanity project which makes no sense from an economic perspective and the eastern leg of Phase 2 is the weakest element of this heavily loss-making line.”

Printed in the Daily Telegraph, 13/05/2021, p. 4.