PLANS for the scrapped section of HS2 received a mixed reception from unions and campaigners as they were unveiled today.

The proposed new 50-mile railway line between the Midlands and north-west England would be slower and cheaper than the original proposals which were axed amid spiralling costs by former prime minister Rishi Sunak last October.

Today a report by a coalition of private-sector organisations led by former HS2 Ltd chairman Sir David Higgins found the alternative line would be critical to boost capacity for passengers and freight moving between the regions.