HS2

To be honest, I've never been able to see the point of HS2. Even before its costs had (predictably) spiralled upwards, the price tag of thirty-five billion seemed awfully high for slightly faster train times. 

And the estimated differences in travel times are borderline pointless: half an hour or less off the journey time to most northern cities and towns. Surely, improvements in track and rolling stock will deliver that through a more natural evolution? But, hey, I'm no engineer.

And, of course, if you live in, say, Thetford or Thuro, there goes all that tax money on a national project that won't benefit you in the slightest. At least not as far as I can see.

And that tax money is now covering budgeted costs of ninety-eight billion, although the independent review commissioned by the government suggests a realistic figure of one hundred and seventy billion. That's a lot of houses, hospitals, services and schools right there. Or you can save eleven minutes getting from London to Macclesfield.

Our journey from London to Manchester Piccadilly, this afternoon, took two hours and seven minutes. And I was quite happy with that.