Gemma Dillon
Political Reporter

West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin says she is "disappointed" and "angry" that plans for high speed rail lines have been scrapped and downgraded.

Under the government's plans, the HS2 line will now not come as far as Leeds, and there will not be a new fast line to Manchester, with a stop in Bradford.

Ms Brabin told BBC Radio Leeds: "Of all the three new lines, there's only one that comes barely into Yorkshire.

"And, in fact, the Prime Minister did say that HS2 will stop at the border with Yorkshire. I think the Prime Minister has taken Yorkshire for a fool."

The mayor also said it was "heartbreaking" that Bradford's hopes of a new link to the north west, and a new station, had been dashed.

The mayor has welcomed £200m to develop plans for a tram system in Leeds, however she understands why people might be sceptical, after many false dawns.

"The problem now is about trust," she added.

Delivering the Integrated Rail Plan, Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps told MPs it was an "ambitious and unparalleled programme" to overhaul inter-city links across the north and Midlands, and "speed up the benefits for local areas and serves destinations people most want to reach".

You can find out more on the BBC's HS2 reaction live page.

A West Yorkshire campaigner against the eastern leg of the HS2 scheme from Birmingham to Leeds, which has been announced will no longer go ahead, has said it would have "destroyed many people's lives."

Transport Secratary, Grant Shapps, announced HS2 will not go to Leeds as planned but will stop at East Midlands Parkway and the Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme will not deliver a new line between Manchester and Leeds.

Chris Matthewman, from the Bramley HS2 Information Group, said: "The route would've changed Bramley forever.

"It would've made it effectively uninhabitable for many years through construction.

"And there are other areas of the route which would've been hit even harder, so there's no wonder it's been scrapped."

Grant Shapps says: "This revised plan will achieve the same, similar or faster journey times to London and on the core Northern Powerhouse network than the original and bring the benefits years earlier."

It is full steam ahead for historians Ruth Goodman, Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn as they bring back to life the golden age of steam and explore how the Victorian railways created modern Britain.

This time, the team find out how the railways transformed the British diet, rescuing a nation that was struggling to feed itself.

Putting theory into practice, Alex and Peter load a flock of sheep onto a train, discovering how the mass transportation of livestock by rail transformed the quality and quantity of meat available to Victorian consumers. This new capability gave birth to the traditional British roast.

Ruth follows in the footsteps of Britain's herring girls, revealing how the North Yorkshire Moors Railway revived the fortunes of Whitby, turning it into a thriving fishing town, supplying the country's kippers.

Alex looks at how pioneering farmers attempted to use steam power to increase production, getting to grips with the latest steam-ploughing technology.

Peter discovers how steam-powered engines revolutionised production at Britain's oldest brewery and how the traction engine worked alongside the locomotive to distribute beer across the country.

In Yorkshire, Ruth sees how farmers created a monopoly on rhubarb, growing the crop in dark sheds and transporting it nightly to London on the rhubarb express.

Meanwhile, Alex boards a locomotive on the Watercress Line in Hampshire, discovering how the railway brought the nutritional salad to the masses.

A senior detective says he thinks about the Stephen Port case every day and always will.

Passengers on a train from Hull to Leeds have been reacting to the government's Intergrated Rail Plan, external which was announced earlier today.

Businessman Phil Jones (pictured above), said: "I'm more interested in the link between Hull and Manchester across the north than I've ever been about HS2 and want towns across the north better connected by rail and by electrification and by a better service in general."

HS2 will not go to Leeds as planned but will stop at East Midlands Parkway and the Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme will not deliver a new line between Manchester and Leeds.

However, the transport secretary said there will be a high speed link between Manchester and on to West Yorkshire.

Meanwhile commuter Katie Haddock (pictured above), said: "It's a massive disappointment for me because I've just started a new job working in Leeds and London and I'm having to decide whether I can continue with that, because the commute is such a problem and really affects daily life.

The government says its £96bn plan is an "ambitious and unparalleled programme" to overhaul inter-city links across the north and Midlands.

It says it will "study how best to take HS2 trains into Leeds" and will look at a mass transport system for West Yorkshire.

You can find out more on the BBC's HS2 reaction live page.

BBC Radio Leeds

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says the government has "betrayed" Bradford and the north after axing plans for a new high speed rail line through the city.

Image source, STEPHEN ARMSTRONG / GEOGRAPH

Officials and leaders across the north had hoped a new station would be built in the city, as part of a new Northern Powerhouse Rail line between Leeds and Manchester.

However, today's Integrated Rail Plan announcement says journey times on that route will be increased by improving existing sections of track, but that any additional new track will not go through Bradford.

Sir Keir said: "The government has betrayed Bradford, and it's betrayed the north of England.

"This was the first big test of levelling up, and they've failed badly - and, frankly, if you can't level-up Bradford, then you're not serious about levelling up at all."

However, the government says journey times between Bradford and Leeds will be cut to 12 minutes.

You can find out more on the BBC's HS2 reaction live page.

The noise was caused by an F-18 Hornet breaking the sound barrier, says the Swiss Air Force.

Unite, the UK’s construction union, has described the government’s decision to cancel the HS2 spur to Leeds as an "act of industrial vandalism."

Image source, PA Media

Unite national officer for construction Jerry Swain said: "This decision has put back national infrastructure planning by a generation. It is nothing short of industrial vandalism.

“By cancelling the Leeds spur the government's demonstrating it's not serious about its levelling up agenda and that its manifesto commitment to improving regional connectivity was nothing but hot air.

"HS2 should be the gold standard of construction projects for the next decade and beyond. The entire UK should be benefiting from this development."

The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said the £96bn programme will "transform services in the north and the Midlands," calling the scheme the "largest single rail investment ever made by a UK government".

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has outlined the government's Integrated Rail Plan in the House of Commons.

Image source, HS2

Here's a recap of what's been said:

• The £96bn plan is an "ambitious and unparalleled programme" to overhaul inter-city links across the north and Midlands, Shapps said
• The planned eastern line to Leeds has been scrapped, with a new route from Warrington to Manchester ending at the "western border" of Yorkshire
• The government will "study how best to take HS2 trains into Leeds", he says
• The new proposals will bring down journey times in the North and Midlands "much sooner than under previous plans", he adds
• He also said the government would look at a mass transport system for West Yorkshire
• And he announced investment in contactless ticketing as well as funding to electrify track in the North and Midlands
• Labour's shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon described the plan as a "betrayal" and a "great train robbery" saying it was a massive blow to the regions

You can see the full plan here, external (a word of warning it does come to 161 pages).

A Sheffield MP has said the government's long-awaited Integrated Rail Plan was "not worth the wait."

Image source, PA Media

The plan considers the best way to develop and deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail, HS2 and other major rail projects.

Louise Haigh MP for Sheffield Heeley, said: "This report was more than 12 months overdue, and it definitely was not worth the wait.

The Prime Minister has once again shown people across the North of England that they do not matter to him or his government.

"This is another in a long line of broken promises by this Prime Minister to the people of the North."

Ms Haigh added: "The plans will actively hold back investment and opportunities that could benefit millions of people."

The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said the £96bn programme will "transform services in the north and the Midlands," calling the scheme the "largest single rail investment ever made by a UK government".

You can find out more on the BBC's HS2 reaction live page.

The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, says the government is committed to starting work on a West Yorkshire mass transit system.

Delivering a statement on the Integrated Rail Plan in the House of Commons, Mr Shapps said "We'll study how best to take HS2 trains into Leeds as well."

"We'll start work on the new West Yorkshire mass transit system, righting the wrong of this major city, probably the largest in Europe which doesn't have a mass transit system.

"We commit today to supporting West Yorkshire Combined Authority over the long-term to ensure that this time it actually gets done."

The Transport Secretary said the £96bn programme will "transform services in the north and the Midlands," calling the scheme the "largest single rail investment ever made by a UK government".

Jeremy Corbyn says he is taking action over a doctored image of him at the Liverpool blast scene.

The Conservative MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, between Leeds and Sheffield, says local routes from South Yorkshire are far more important to people than long distance routes to London.

Speaking ahead of the expected government announcement it's scrapping the eastern leg of HS2 from the midlands to Leeds, through South Yorkshire, Miriam Cates said: "I personally have said that I don't think the HS2 eastern leg is the right way to deliver for Sheffield.

"I don't think those long distance routes, let's say Sheffield to London, are as important as they used to be, especially when for business travel people are much more using Zoom calls.

"But the key connections like Penistone to Sheffield, Stocksbridge to Sheffield, Sheffield to Leeds, these are the routes people desperately need to get the same type of quality of transport that people have in London."

You can find out more on the BBC's HS2 reaction live page.

The leader of Bradford Council says she's angry two major rail infrastructure plans between northern cites and between the north and south are expected to be scrapped.

Image source, House of Commons

Boris Johnson's government is expected to announce in its Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) later the eastern leg of the HS2 scheme from Birmingham to Leeds won't go ahead.

It's also expected to cancel plans for a new fast line between Leeds and Manchester, via Bradford.

Image source, Labour Party

Bradford Council Leader, Susan Hinchcliffe (pictured above), said: "HS2 not going to Leeds, Northern Powerhouse Rail not going to Bradford, this is a really bad news day for the region and I want to see government step up and say what they are going to do for us."

The Department for Transport says its IRP plan will improve journey times and capacity "from London and across the Pennines" and "strengthen connections between major cities in the North and Midlands".

You can find out more on the BBC's HS2 reaction live page.

Ministers promise faster local upgrades, but the high-speed link from Birmingham to Leeds is set to be cut.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

A Yorkshire parish councillor at the end of the planned HS2 line said the "champagne was on ice" ready for the expected announcement the eastern leg of the railway will be scrapped.

Image source, LDRS

Church Fenton councillor Andrew Mason said a 15 metre-high viaduct running along the edge of the village would have been a "disaster" for the environment.

The village was to be on a spur where HS2 would have connected with the existing East Coast mainline on the way to York.

But briefings to national newspapers suggest the Birmingham to Leeds route will be axed, to be replaced by more localised improvements. The government’s Integrated Rail Plan will be published later.

Mr Mason said: "It’s been delightful news. The government is saying what we've said for eight years – that we can do local improvements.

"There are people in Church Fenton, Swillington, Oulton, Mexborough, up and down the line, whose lives have been destroyed by this."

Mr Mason said HS2 was opposed by almost everyone in Church Fenton.

He added: "We’re a north Yorkshire rural village with very little in the way of urbanisation.

"A 15-metre viaduct travelling for nearly a kilometre would have destroyed the environment."

The high speed link to Leeds will not go ahead, but the government says journey times will still be slashed.

A Leeds gymnast has broken his own world record for the farthest backflip between two horizontal bars.

Ash Watson had previously set the record in 2018 with a distance of 19.25ft (5.87m).

After setting the new record of 19.7ft (6m), Mr Watson said his supporters made it sound like he was "in a football stadium" as he completed the feat.

BBC Weather

Today, will be largely cloudy, however a few brighter interludes will develop at times.

It will be a dry and mild day for most with some drizzle in places.

This evening and overnight will be cloudy and largely dry, with gentle to moderate winds:

BBC Business News

A £96bn rail improvement programme will help transform services in the Midlands and northern England, the government has said ahead of the expected scrapping of the eastern leg of the HS2 scheme which was to run from Birmingham to Leeds through South Yorkshire.

Image source, Siemens

Local service upgrades, bringing faster journeys, will happen up to 10 years earlier than planned, ministers say.

It comes as businesses reacted angrily to reports the East Midlands-Leeds HS2 high-speed line would not be built.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to unveil the plans later.

The Department for Transport (DfT) says its Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) will improve journey times and capacity "from London and across the Pennines" and "strengthen connections between major cities in the North and Midlands".

HS2 was originally meant to connect London with the city centres of Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. But sources have told the BBC that the eastern leg to Leeds is set to be scrapped.

Writing in the Yorkshire Post,, external Mr Johnson appears to confirm reports that a shorter high-speed route will be created from Birmingham to East Midlands Parkway, with the HS2 trains then running up as far as Sheffield on mainline tracks.

The government is also expected to put money aside to explore setting up a tram service for Leeds and spend £360m on contactless ticketing across commuter rail networks.