The first phase of the controversial HS2 rail line is expected to get the go-ahead from the UK government today.
Transport secretary Justine Greening is expected to back the high-speed 100-mile rail link from London to Birmingham, which will be completed by 2026.
The first London-Birmingham phase will cost £17 billion, while the total cost incorporating the second phase—a further section of the line extending to Manchester and Leeds—is expected to reach £32 billion. This northern extension would be completed by around 2032/33.
It is thought there could also be an extension of the line to Scotland in the future.
HS2 trains will reach speeds of 225 miles per hour and will cut the journey time from London to Birmingham to 49 minutes.
The government has said the new line will reduce overcrowding problems on trains, as well as generating benefits of £44 billion to the UK economy over a period of 60 years.
However there has been strong opposition to the plans—originally proposed by Labour—with some campaigners set to lose their homes and others concerned about noise pollution and the preservation of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
