High Speed Two (HS2) will link London to Birmingham, with the second phase of the project extending this link to Manchester and Leeds.
Speaking last week, UK Transport Minister Patrick McLoughlin said, "I’m afraid we will upset some people, but I appreciate that and we’ve got to try and do as much as we can to alleviate the damage wherever we can. You can’t build a brand new line and not have problems. There will be some areas where you are going to have to negotiate.
"But we will be announcing several new stations which I think will be great engines for regeneration, and I think by us announcing it now, the local authorities on the route can plan and get the best advantage out of High Speed 2."
Campaign manager for the Stop HS2 movement, Joe Rukin said, "HS2 is the wrong investment at the wrong time. The country is supposedly bust, we are seeing cuts in services all over the place, but the Government wants to spend money on a train line which will only benefit the richest in society and line the pockets of construction lobbyists with vested interests.
"There are more holes in HS2 than a Swiss cheese, which is why the government [has] faced five legal challenges. To announce the route for stage two before the rulings on those judicial reviews is simply irresponsible."
