Recent reports that rail bosses are considering significantly scaling back HS2 have prompted mounting speculation that the beleaguered scheme could soon be scrapped altogether.
In the face of soaring costs that have seen the cost of completing the project rise from £33bn to £100bn in just a decade, government ministers are now said to be considering a range of cost-cutting measures, including slower trains, less regular service, and even the possibility that trains will not run directly into central London.
Whilst proponents of the scheme are still clinging to the idea that HS2 can act as an engine of economic growth across the UK, there seems little doubt that even if the project is allowed to continue, it will be a shadow of what was originally envisaged and critics of the scheme believe the time has come to put it out of its misery.
In our March 15 - 30 poll, we asked a simple question. Do you think HS2 should be scrapped? Yes or no. The poll is now closed but your comments, subject to moderation, are welcome below the line.
Poll: Should the UK’s railways be renationalised?
Rail passenger numbers declined from 1.27 million in 1946 to 735,000 in 1994 a fall of 42% over 49 years. In 2019 the last pre-Covid year the number...