The construction of the HS2 high-speed line, which is to connect London with the north of England, has started. It is currently the largest infrastructure project in Europe. The construction, however, is controversial. On Friday, the British capital held a protest by the Extinction Rebellion group of climate activists against the construction of the railway.
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As announced by the British government, the construction will allow for the creation of 22 thousand. new jobs, and the line itself, when it is ready, will make it possible to reduce the development disproportions between the north and south of the country.
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The high-speed line will first connect London with Birmingham, and in the second phase will be continued by two arms – to Manchester and Leeds. This would shorten the journey from the capital to Birmingham from 1 hour. 21 minutes to 52 minutes, and from London to Manchester – from 2 hours. 7 minutes to 1 hour 7 minutes.
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– As the backbone of our country’s transport network, this project will be of key importance for increasing connectivity between our cities. But the transformative potential of HS2 goes even further. By creating hundreds of apprenticeships and thousands of jobs for qualified employees, HS2 will stimulate economic growth and help restore the balance of opportunities in this country for years to come, said Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the inauguration.