A £2bn rail link to Glasgow was quietly scrapped while Boris Johnson attempted to cling onto power in Downing Street.
Conservative Party ministers announced on Monday they were removing the Golborne Link from HS2, which would have connected high speed trains from the North West of England onto the West Coast main line to Glasgow.
No back-up plan has been published for the 13-mile stretch of track, with ministers saying they are attempting to "find a solution".
The decision comes following a recommendation from the independent Union Connectivity Review, according to the UK Government website.
The review urged Westminster to find different options to the Golborne Link and recommended it work together with Holyrood.
An announcement was made on the government website while the Prime Minister was looking to sure up support ahead of a confidence vote in his leadership.
He eventually won the vote by 211 votes to 148.
HS2 Minister Andrew Stephenson made the announcement and said "we’ve left no stone unturned when it comes to working with our Scottish counterparts".
He added: "Ahead of the government’s response to the Union Connectivity Review, we can confirm the government will look again at alternatives which deliver similar benefits to Scotland as the Golborne link, so long as these deliver for the taxpayer within the £96bn envelope allocated for the Integrated Rail Plan.
"We will look at the potential for these alternatives to bring benefits to passengers sooner, allowing improved Scotland services from Manchester and Manchester Airport, as well as from Birmingham and London.
"HS2 trains will continue to serve Wigan and Preston, as well as Lancaster, Cumbria and Scotland.
"Removing this link is about ensuring that we’ve left no stone unturned when it comes to working with our Scottish counterparts to find a solution that will best serve the great people of Scotland."
A government source told the Mirror that Monday’s formal announcement had been in the diary for weeks.
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