Rail bosses previously warned axing HS2 lines for upgrades would mean decades of disruption for passengers
Senior Conservative MPs, regional leaders and industry figures have accused ministers of betraying the north with a delayed and downgraded £96bn rail plan.
Ministers insisted that money-saving changes – including axing the eastern leg of HS2 and omitting a promised high-speed line across northern England – would bring faster train journeys to more communities up to 10 years earlier than planned.