A UK government report on its rail network was found to contain geographical mistakes and questionable promises. It is titled "Network North" and was issued after UK leader Rishi Sunak scrapped an infrastructure project called HS2. This was a high-speed rail link connecting the city of Manchester in the north to the south. The report's front cover seems to relocate Manchester 70 km north-west. Network North also committed to upgrading a road on the south coast of England. It also vowed to extend a tram network to Manchester airport. The airport link actually opened in 2014.
Critics are dismayed at the scrapping of HS2. The project was announced with great fanfare by the ruling party in 2012. It was a key policy to "level up" the north. Abandoning HS2 is seen as a U-turn. Just a year ago, Mr Sunak was committed to the rail link. Many people say the government is leaving the north of England with a century-old railway. The High Speed Rail Group said: "Every other major European country has managed to build a high-speed rail network, recognizing it's a vital part of a modern society and economy."
Try the same news story at these levels:
UK Geography - Level 4 or UK Geography - Level 6
Sources- https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/oct/05/ten-problems-with-rishi-sunaks-network-north-announcement
- https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/05/economy/hs2-railway-uk-economy/index.html
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/hs2-london-euston-sadiq-khan-b2425623.html
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