Government’s infrastructure advisers call for long-term rail plan

The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) says the Government needs to flesh out its railway proposals in northern England and the Midlands following the cancellation of High Speed 2 north of Birmingham, and produce a long-term plan for rail.

The commission’s Infrastructure Progress Review 2024, published on May 16, notes that funding diverted from the cancelled northern leg of HS2 has been earmarked for local transport budgets, but the authors say a detailed replacement plan is needed to improve train services in the North and Midlands, “with greater specificity regarding the scope, cost, benefits and schedule for the schemes individually and as a package.”