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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Amy Walker

Axing HS2 Manchester leg would be a tragedy, says UK infrastructure chief

An artist’s impression of an HS2 train
An artist’s impression of an HS2 train. The government has refused to guarantee the network will reach Manchester. Photograph: HS2/PA

Axing the Manchester leg of the HS2 high-speed rail line would be a “tragedy” but the government needs to “get a grip of the costs”, the country’s infrastructure chief has said.

Sir John Armitt, the chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, which is responsible for providing expert advice to the UK government, also said cancellation of the route would tell the world that the UK “runs away when it starts to see some challenges”.

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