HS2 phase two route details announced

Details of the next phase of the £32bn HS2 high-speed rail network have been unveiled by the government.

The preferred route of phase two running northwards from Birmingham will have five stops at: Manchester; Manchester Airport; Toton in the East Midlands; Sheffield; and Leeds.

Ministers say the railway will stimulate regional economies, and it has been welcomed by some business leaders.

But critics say the plan is flawed, saying it will blight the countryside and require public subsidy.

Richard Westcott reports.

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