Great Western Coffee Shop

I notice that Boris has appointed his former London cycling commissioner as transport advisor, who is also a correspondent for the Sunday Times.  https://road.cc/content/news/264661-former-london-cycling-commissioner-appointed-boris-johnsons-transport-advisor (https://road.cc/content/news/264661-former-london-cycling-commissioner-appointed-boris-johnsons-transport-advisor)

Together with the High Speed northern rail proposals, does this mean a more active and sustainable transport policy.

Take your rose-tinted glasses off Sid

Let’s hope so , HS2 is needed for capacity , but not 400 Kph, and perhaps, a review  may be s good idea , slower speed , Station at Brackley , a Transport Desert , May not be s bad move.
I have supported it in public , but in private, I know it is poorly managed and costing too much .
As for cycleways, bring them in , very cheap , good for environment.

I think, HS2 to leeds will be put on ice, change at Manchester for new transpennine to Leeds?

One really good way to increase the cost of a scheme is to insist on a redesign at a late stage. Yes, lets have another expensive study, delay the project - so the design team has to be paid to do nothing or be broken up only to have to pay them to come back again later.  In other posts on this forum we bemoan the money spent on studies for new stations or re-opening rather than spending it on actually building new stations or reopening lines.  Now we are suggesting more of it!

The reason the budget has gone up IMHO is the extra tunneling that has been forced on the project at the London end. When it was introduced it was claimed this could all be done within the existing budget - because that was what the politicians wanted to hear. That was when things went wrong on the budget. I note that the line will get all the way into Birmingham without a single tunnel!

And how much would a slight reduction in line speed have actually saved had it been in the spec from the beginning? I seem to recall it was reported that these savings would be minimal.