HS2 Gets The Go Ahead

Last updated : 10 January 2012 By Covsupport News Service

The controversial HS2 rail scheme from London to Birmingham which cuts through swathes of Warwickshire countryside and will affect train services from Coventry to London amongst other things, has been not surprisingly passed by the Government.

The scheme, which will cost £17bn and a further 15bn to extend it to Manchester and Leeds, has been objected to by many including Coventry City Council.

"High Speed 2 is a scheme to deliver hugely enhanced rail capacity and connectivity between Britain's major conurbations," said Transport Secretary Justine Greening.

"It is the largest transport infrastructure investment in the UK for a generation, and, with the exception of High Speed 1, is the first major new railway line since the Victorian era."

The Transport Secretary said she had been "mindful that we must safeguard the natural environment as far as possible, both for the benefit of those enjoying our beautiful countryside today and for future generations".