What are your thoughts?

The biggest benefit is capacity, with the fast intercity trains running on a new line you have much more space to run more local and freight services on existing lines. Due to the current difference in speeds on the same lines, the capacity is limited even more because trains have to be spaced out more to stop them catching up with each other, so you get more than one extra trains capacity on the existing lines for each intercity train moved off.

With regards to WFH, it's not as big of an impact as you might think, and even those working from home still travel. Rail usage is mostly back to how it was pre pandemic, but with some changes. There's now more leisure traffic than there was before, and fewer commuters.

It's really not a good idea to stop at this point. We've committed to the most expensive part which will be under-used without the rest. The tories have had more than a decade being in charge and they've done nothing to try to control the costs, while also trying to reduce risk which then increases costs. There's also the myth that has become pervasive recently that government debt works like household debt, which isn't true. Most government debt is owned by the Bank of England, which is controlled by the government. In harder economic times the government should be spending more to stimulate the economy, not continually imposing austerity.

The only way to guarantee a complete line to London is to start it in Manchester

This is the best summary I could come up with:

It's probably safe to assume that there wasn't a grand plan in Downing Street for the Conservative Party conference to become overwhelmed by speculation about HS2.

In his interview with BBC Breakfast this morning, Rishi Sunak insisted that his colleagues are not talking about the railway, but instead about his new policies on net zero and motorists.

Last night I was chatting to two MPs, both very supportive of the prime minister, one broadly in favour of the northern leg being scrapped, one somewhat opposed.

From then, the cat was out of the bag that the project was at least under review, even if it took more bouts of briefing and leaks for it to become clear that Mr Sunak was leaning towards cancelling the line.

It is an opportunity for his voice, finally, to become the loudest in a conference which after all is designed to give the public a better idea of his approach to government and his personality.

Once we actually know what will happen to HS2 and what investments the government might be making instead in transport links within the north, the discussion will move onto those specifics rather than the communications difficulties the Conservatives have had on this subject.

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