DAVID Cameron and George Osborne have welcomed a report which suggests journey times between northern English cities could be slashed under proposals put forward yesterday by the boss of the £50 billion HS2 high-speed rail project.
The improvements would cover an east-west section of northern England and would be in addition to the north-of-Birmingham phase two of HS2 which will see a Y-shaped route going to Manchester and Leeds.
HS2 chairman Sir David Higgins said northern connectivity plans - dubbed "HS3" and backed by Chancellor George Osborne - would be "as important to the north of England as Crossrail is for London".
The plans, if carried forward, would mean journey times between Leeds and Manchester could almost be cut in half. Journeys between Leeds and Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield Meadowhall, York and Birmingham, and Nottingham and Birmingham could also be cut by half.
The Prime Minister said: "Improving connectivity and reducing journey times between our great northern cities is a crucial part of our long-term economic plan for the north to boost businesses and create more jobs and security for hard-working people."
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