Good morning. In 2009, there were two big high speed train announcements. In the UK, the Department for Transport set out plans for HS2, a line running from London to Birmingham and then onwards to Manchester and Leeds. The initial route to Birmingham was projected to cost £16.3bn with predictions its first passengers would jump on board in 2026.
Across the Channel, the French government also had plans for faster trains. Ministers there announced a vision to double its high-speed network to about 2,500 miles at a cost of about €18bn (£15bn), with trains running on the new tracks by 2020.
