Plans for a high speed railway linking major northern cities have been ripped up again amid vicious spending cuts.
Proposals to build in full Northern Powerhouse Rail, also called High Speed 3, have been scrapped just weeks after they were restored.
The project was ditched as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt bid to plug an estimated £50billion black hole in public coffers.
No10 confirmed the Government was “committed” to the Integrated Rail Plan announced last November - which watered down the NPR scheme and axed HS2’s eastern leg to save cash in favour of a new £96bn upgrade plan.
The Government was accused of a "Great Train Robbery" when it unveiled the controversial blueprint 12 months ago.
During her doomed seven-week premiership, PM Liz Truss reinstated pledges to build HS3 in full, linking the North’s six big cities - Newcastle, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool and Manchester Airport.
But Mr Sunak has now reversed that pledge in yet another trashing of his predecessor’s promises.
His spokesman said: “We are committed to the Integrated Rail Plan, which delivers a high speed line and transport improvements across the North.
“The Government is of the view this approach will deliver those benefits sooner than under alternative plans.”
The confirmation came hours after Business Secretary Grant Shapps, a former Transport Secretary, signalled the NPR scheme would be abandoned again.
He said: "The line itself can deliver a 33-minute journey from Manchester to Leeds, quadruple nearly the capacity of that line, and do so without having to wait an extra 20 years beyond the delivery of what the upgrade can do.
“There wasn't really much point in going and blasting new tunnels through the Pennines.”
He added: “It's not true to say we're not delivering on what we said we would do on levelling-up the North."
Regional leaders blasted the latest scaling back of NPR.
Northern Powerhouse Partnership chief executive Henri Murison said: “If the Government decides to stick by the Integrated Rail Plan, refusing to deliver a new line across the Pennines as far as Leeds and cutting Bradford off altogether, this will be a serious setback for levelling-up.
“It means they’re still falling short of the ambition in the 2019 manifesto on which they were elected, having also missed out Hull.
“It raises serious questions about their plans for growth, given that the North’s woeful transport infrastructure continues to weigh down our economy and hold back private investment.
“This option saves little to nothing for Treasury coffers now - Northern Powerhouse Rail is still in early development stage meaning that the vast majority of the investment needed is well beyond the current spending review period.”
Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “A lost decade of broken Tory promises has left the North with second-rate infrastructure, and rail services in crisis, holding the economy back.
“Rishi Sunak told voters he would deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail, before abandoning it at the first opportunity."
Meanwhile, No10 scotched claims plans for the £25billion Sizewell C nuclear power station in Suffolk could be scrapped.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “Our position on Sizewell C has not changed.
“It remains crucial to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, increasing our energy security and meeting our net zero ambitions.
“We hope to get a deal over the line as soon as possible - there are negotiations ongoing.”
