SUGGESTED
Press Release
Government and Institutions
Uncategorized
20 January 2026
Responding to reports that the eastern branch of HS2 connecting Leeds to London could be axed, Dr Richard Wellings, Deputy Research Director and Head of Transport at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:
“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.
“While capacity pressures are now less likely due to the shift to virtual meetings and homeworking, any future demand growth could easily be accommodated by existing routes.
“Yorkshire is already little more than 90 minutes from London using the East Coast Main Line, making the HS2 leg a grotesque waste of taxpayers’ money.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For media enquiries please contact Emily Carver, Head of Media, 07715941731
For further IEA reading on HS2, click here.
“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.
“While capacity pressures are now less likely due to the shift to virtual meetings and homeworking, any future demand growth could easily be accommodated by existing routes.
“Yorkshire is already little more than 90 minutes from London using the East Coast Main Line, making the HS2 leg a grotesque waste of taxpayers’ money.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For media enquiries please contact Emily Carver, Head of Media, 07715941731
For further IEA reading on HS2, click here.
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