Posted by Red Hatter on 11/2/2020, 8:11 pm, in reply to "Re: HS2"
You asked why does everything have to start in London?
HS1 already exists between London and the Channel Tunnel and onto Paris.
I think the logic behind the first phase of HS2 is to connect London with Birmingham, as it's an extension from HS1. You could travel from Birmingham to Paris. It links up what is in place.
HS2 can use the existing network beyond Birmingham, so that would connect cities right up to Glasgow / Edinburgh.
I agree about the importance of connecting up the northern cities with proper, high speed links and that is a long way off and will probably never happen as you say. It's impossible to say what the plans of future governments are.