New Prime Minister Liz Truss has previously said she will not revert back to the original plans for HS2, which would have seen the eastern leg built between Birmingham and Leeds by 2033
An artists impression of what the new HS2 trains could look like. Manufacturers Hitachi and Alstom have signed a £2bn contract to build a fleet of trains to serve the new network.
Transport for the North has revealed the study is expected to take 18 months to two years to complete, but it cannot begin until new Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan publishes the terms of reference.said the Leeds Area Study will look at the original plans, potential upgrades to existing lines and a hybrid approach.has previously said she will not revert back to the original plans for HS2, which would have seen the eastern leg built between Birmingham and Leeds by 2033.
But the Government, which decided to take charge of the project in November, instead opted to spend £17.2bn on building a 40-mile line between Warrington and Marsden, and honour existing plans to upgrade the Transpennine Route.