HS2

There has been talk in government about building a third runway at Heathrow Airport for decades (Picture: Jack Taylor)

The UK needs to get as good as France at building major infrastructure Stephen Gethins

The HS2 line will connect Birmingham with London but trains will run on to Edinburgh and Glasgow (Photo by HS2 Ltd)

HS2: Make Scotland-London journeys as fast as truncated line – Alastair Dalton

The A75 at Woodside, east of Dumfries. (Photo by David Dixon/Geograph)

Minister will be 'extremely disappointed' if A75 funding bid snubbed

It sounds obscure, but the "Dalmeny chord" was a crucial stretch of rail which was never built. It would have linked the Edinburgh-Glasgow line to the Fife line and was a key part of the £1 billion Edinburgh-Glasgow rail improvement programme. It would have meant six trains an hour between the two cities, journey times cut to 35 minutes and trains calling at the new Edinburgh Gateway station (pictured) where passengers could switch to a tram to reach the airport.
But in 2012 the budget was slashed to £650m, the Dalmeny chord was dropped, frequency remained at four trains an hour, journeys at 40 minutes and passengers from Glasgow heading for Edinburgh airport still had to travel to Haymarket and out again.

Scottish Government
Edinburgh Gateway Station to view it's progress as it nears completion.

Diverted HS2 cash could help fund Edinburgh station - Sue Webber

Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky celebrates winning the women’s elite road race during Cycling World Championships in Glasgow (Picture: Will Matthews/PA)

Arts world pays price for Scottish Government's bad choices

Dualling the A9 is severely delayed. Image: John Devlin/National World.

Scottish Tories demand HS2 money used by Scotland to ‘urgently upgrade’ A9

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty arrive to the final day of the annual Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Picture: Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images

Sunak axes HS2 extension and pledges road upgrades instead for Scotland

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a meeting with his staff in his hotel room ahead of his keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference in Manchester. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

Sunak to rail against 30 years of 'quick-fix' politics in conference speech

Rishi Sunak talks of making long-term decisions but may be about to make a short-term one (Picture: Justin Tallis/WPA pool/Getty Images)

Expected HS2 decision would go against Sunak’s new mantra

Former prime minister Liz Truss leaves the Great British Growth Rally, a fringe event where she spoke alongside Dame Priti Patel, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Ranil Jayawardena. Wire

HS2, Liz Truss and the economy dominate at divided Tory party conference

Rishi Sunak has refused to say whether he's axing the HS2 route from Birmingham to Manchester. Credit: Mark Hall/Getty

Breaking Northern leader hits out at PM’s ‘lies’ over rail projects and HS2

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images.

Breaking Betrayal of the North: Boris Johnson hits out at PM on HS2

An aerial view of the groundworks construction of the HS2 high speed rail network progresses around the A38 dual-carriageway near Streethay on January 27, 2023 in Lichfield (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Gravy train: £280 million spent on HS2 consultants in years

According to a leaked photograph, the government is said to be possibly planning on scrapping the Birmingham to Manchester HS2 phase in order to cut down on costs. (Credit: PA)

Breaking Labour mayors join forces to urge Sunak not to scrap HS2 Northern link

The Scottish and UK governments are a national embarrassment Euan McColm

After an Avanti West Coast train was cancelled mid-journey, passengers experienced a very long journey (Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

HS2 a distant prospect as 'low-speed one' takes passengers on 11-hour journey

The Prime Minister is reportedly "alarmed" by the ballooning costs of the HS2 [project amid rumours that his government may be about to announce that the Northern leg of the line will be scrapped. (Credit: Hollie Adams/PA Wire)

Breaking Rishi Sunak 'alarmed' by costs of HS2 project amid Cabinet split

According to a leaked photograp, the government is said to be possibly planning on scrapping the Birmingham to Manchester HS2 phase in order to cut down on costs. (Credit: PA)

Breaking Rishi Sunak refuses to guarantee HS2 will link Manchester and London

Analysis: When will the Scottish Qualifications Authority be replaced? Calum Ross

The UK and Scotland need to learn how to build things again - Conor Matchett Conor Matchett

'Archie', the Roman archer statue who guards the River Esk at Musselburgh, has been adorned with white ribbon by locals worried about the threatened concrete barrier (Picture: Steven Robertson)

Readers' Letters: Over the top flood prevention scheme must be paused

placeholder image

Readers' Letters

Delays to HS2 are undermining Scotland's climate change targets, according to a new report. Image: Tolga Akmen/Getty Images.

Delays to high speed rail undermining Scottish climate targets, report says

Sinkhole which has opened up above HS2 work in Buckinghamshire

Sinkhole opens up above a tunnel built for the HS2 high rail line

Construction on sections of the HS2 route have been delayed (Photo by Mark Case/Getty Images)

HS2 needs to be completed to transform north of England

An early representation of what the new HS2 trains could look like.

Part of HS2 to be delayed in bid to cut costs

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt will deliver the Autumn statement on Thursday.

Chancellor warns of 'difficult decisions' in Autumn Statement

placeholder image

Building projects bring a bonus for archaeologists - John Lawson

The government has scrapped plans to build a new £3bn rail link between HS2 and the West Coast Main Line (Photo: HS2/ PA).

Decision to scrap rail link to Scotland named 'cowardly' by SNP

Scott Johnston, Partner and specialist in construction and engineering law at Pinsent Masons

Building future lies in industrialised construction - Scott Johnston

The first HS2 trains are expected to carry passengers between 2029 and 2033

What’s going on with 3-hour HS2 Scotland-London journey plans? – Alastair Dalton

People in remote areas suffer from poor Wi-Fi

Farming: Don’t rural areas also deserve a bit of ‘levelling up’? - Andrew Arbuck...

Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to the Network Rail hub at Gascoigne Wood, near Selby, North Yorkshire, to coincide with the announcement of the Integrated Rail Plan. Picture date: Thursday November 18, 2021.

Government fails to deliver what it promised for the North

Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a visit to the Network Rail hub at Gascoigne Wood, near Selby, North Yorkshire, to coincide with the announcement of the Integrated Rail Plan.

Political leaders condemn Government’s decision to scale back HS2

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey and new Liberal Democrat MP for Chesham and Amersham, Sarah Green, during a victory rally at Chesham Youth Centre, Chesham

If tactical voting catches on, Boris Johnson should be worried - Brian Wilson

HS2 is one of the largest infrastructure projects seen in the UK for decades. Picture: Siemens/PA Wire

HS2 bosses target Scottish suppliers for next phase of vast rail project

HS2 trains would cut Scotland-London journeys to three hours 38 minutes but Transport Scotland wants them reduced to three hours. (Picture: Siemens/PA Wire)

HS2: Why Johnson should bring high-speed rail to Scotland – Scotsman comment

HS2 trains would cut Scotland-London journeys to three hours 38 minutes but Transport Scotland wants them reduced to three hours. Picture: Siemens/PA Wire

Scotland 'faces being left behind' on HS2

Prime Minister Boris Johnson talks with apprentices during a visit to Curzon Street railway station in Birmingham where the HS2 rail project is under construction.

Call for HS2 to run to Scotland and cut London rail journey time to three hours

Passenger trains between Old Oak Common in west London and Birmingham Curzon Street are due to start running between 2029 and 2033 (Photo: PA)

The HS2 project has been given approval to begin construction - here’s where wor...

Longannet Power Station before its demolition. Picture Michael Gillen

Will giant train factory rise from ashes of Longannet? – Alastair Dalton

Free bus travel for children could persuade people to use a more energy-efficient form of transport

SNP is making historic decisions that could make or break Scotland – leader comm...
Free bus travel for under 18s sounds expensive but could help the fight against climate change. The key question is whether it’s the best use of public money.

Britain may need to build a lot more wind turbines (Picture: John Devlin)

Climate change: Are the UK’s targets realistic? – Bill Jamieson

HS2 will run from London to Birmingham, and on to Manchester and Leeds

Is HS2 rail link being built in wrong direction? – Bill Jamieson

The Oresund Bridge, a combined railway and motorway bridge between Sweden and Denmark, has been cited as an inspiration for a crossing over the North Channel. Picture: Wikicommons

Analysis: Can Boris Johnson build support in Scotland with infrastructure projec...

Where will HS2 serve, and when will the high-speed railway track be operational?

HS2 will run from London to Birmingham, and on to Manchester and Leeds

HS2: SNP call for Scottish investment amid 'spiralling costs' of project

High-speed trains will also run beyond the new lines on existing tracks as far as Edinburgh and Glasgow.

HS2: Boris Johnson set to confirm controversial high-speed rail link today

Will the rising estimates for the new HS2 rail link stop at £106 billion? (Picture: Siemens/PA Wire)

With official ‘mince’ like this, dare we believe anything? – Bill Jamieson

A potential design for an HS2 train. Picture: Siemens/PA Wire

Scottish high-speed rail could mean Edinburgh to Newcastle in 45 minutes – Alast...

The proposed design of a HS2 train issued by Siemens

UK review to decide whether to scrap £56 billion HS2 rail project

Impact is expected to boost 2019 figures but unwinding will affect the future. Picture: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

Brexit stockpiling to hit economic growth rates

The £10 billion scheme could be funded in party by Scotland's share of UK spending on the high-speed line under the Barnett formula.

Plans to link Glasgow Central and Queen Street with new ‘metro’ system

Talgo has been shortlisted to build high-speed trains for HS2

Train factory to bring 1,000 jobs to Longannet in Fife

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Picture: Jane Barlow

'˜My policy does not echo Donald Trump', says Jeremy Corbyn

The potential HS2 train design, as a leading transport think tank has proposed that high-speed rail connecting all of the UK mainland by 2050 would put "rocket fuel in Britain's economy". Picture: PA Wire

All of UK '˜should have high speed rail by 2050'

The Scotsman Top Stories

Scotland has failed to meet its latest target for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the latest official figures show. Picture: John Giles/PA Wire

Fail: Scotland misses climate target

Pro-independence protesters with Scottish Saltire flags (top) march for Scottish independence. Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images

Yousaf: Growing popular support for Yes the only way to Scottish independence

Nadine Dorries. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

SNP MP cleared of bullying Nadine Dorries