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Will HS2 phase one benefit all Northern urban areas more so than London?

In this episode of Starting the Week we discussed the £60 billion government infrastructure project, HS2, and specifically whether it is going to close the socio-economic North-South divide, which is said to be the main objective of the project.

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The first phase of High Speed Rail 2 line will link London to the West Midlands. Trains will start running between London and Birmingham in 2026, cutting journey times from one hour 21 minutes to 49 minutes. However, the project is highly controversial.  The Government and other supporters of HS2 say it will help the Northern economy by attracting more companies to invest in the North of the country, however, opposition to HS2 argue the benefits will dominantly flow to London.

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If you missed this week's episode, you can catch up by listening to it online or reading the transcript of the discussion. 

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