Network North plan is uncosted and uncertain, say experts

Network North, the £36bn plan to replace the northern leg of the HS2 rail link, is not fully costed and beset by uncertainties, industry experts have warned. Transport experts and local leaders have said many of the schemes that make up the mosaic of infrastructure lacked business cases or delivery time frames. Some depend on other major investments, such as the expansion of northern railway stations, which have yet to be announced. Sir John Armitt, chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said Network North was an instance of the UK “acting in haste with a clear risk of repenting at leisure”. The FT (£)