I take issue with 2 minor points, but am in wholehearted agreement with the main thrust of the article:
1. HS2 not going past Birmingham is a blessing for the North. The last thing we need is easier travel to and from the Great Wen. Better that the money be literally put in a pit and set on fire than that more north-south track should be laid.
2. Your comparison with international equivalents only looks at European examples - I understand large American cities rack up similar price tags per mile for their white elephant infrastructure projects (almost certainly for exactly the same reasons).
I take issue with 2 minor points, but am in wholehearted agreement with the main thrust of the article:
1. HS2 not going past Birmingham is a blessing for the North. The last thing we need is easier travel to and from the Great Wen. Better that the money be literally put in a pit and set on fire than that more north-south track should be laid.
2. Your comparison with international equivalents only looks at European examples - I understand large American cities rack up similar price tags per mile for their white elephant infrastructure projects (almost certainly for exactly the same reasons).